Know who fills the prescription

Ask for the pharmacy behind the offer

A pharmacy fills a prescription. If a medicine is compounded, it is made or changed to order.

Ask which pharmacy will send the medicine. If it is made to order, ask who makes it too. The care service’s name may not answer either question.

Check the pharmacy’s licence

A state board of pharmacy is the agency that licenses pharmacies. The FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, links to these agencies’ licence searches.

As of September 26, 2026, most states required a pharmacy outside the state to hold local permission before shipping prescription medicine to residents.

The exact rules differ. Check the record for the state receiving the medicine, as well as where the pharmacy operates.

A listing confirms a licence record. It does not confirm that each prescription is filled properly.

Ask how questions reach the pharmacist

FDA’s checklist for online pharmacies says they should require a valid prescription and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions.

A polished page does not replace a board check. FDA notes that false storefronts can look convincing.

Reading for this question

• FDA links to state pharmacy searches

  Use the state’s record to check the name behind the prescription. A licence is only part of the picture.

• FDA’s online pharmacy checklist

  Read the checklist with its note that an unsafe pharmacy can look real.