Pause when an offer does not add up

When the route bypasses a prescription

As of September 26, 2026, federal law required a valid prescription from a licensed practitioner for a prescription medicine.

An offer to supply it without that prescription conflicts with this requirement.

The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, says to avoid semaglutide sold with instructions for people despite a label such as “for research use only.” Another warning label is “not for human consumption.” These labels describe laboratory use, even if the seller provides instructions for people.

FDA describes these research-labelled products as having unknown quality and possible harm.

When the approval claim changes shape

As of September 26, 2026, there was no finally approved semaglutide generic for the US market.

FDA says describing compounded drugs as approved generics, or as proven to match approved-drug results, is misleading.

“FDA registered” means a business or place that makes drugs has been entered in the FDA’s records. It does not mean the FDA approved that place or its products.

A seller may show an NDC, short for National Drug Code, or a listing in a government drug database, an electronic list of drugs. Neither proves the medicine has FDA approval.

When names or answers are missing

As of September 26, 2026, FDA had reported fake compounded semaglutide labels naming nonexistent pharmacies or naming real pharmacies that had not made the product.

Ask for the pharmacy name and check its licence on the state pharmacy board’s website.

If you cannot get a clear reply about the person, product or pharmacy, keep that point unresolved. A reassuring tone is not the missing answer.

Reading for this question

• FDA concerns about unapproved weight medicines

  Includes research-labelled products, false pharmacy labels and consumer checks. GLP-1 is the medicine group that includes semaglutide.

• FDA explains what approval does mean

  Use it to distinguish product approval from registration language.