Cautions · recognise the pattern
A single strange detail might be innocent. When several appear together, that is a reason to pause and verify before sending money or health information.
That is the clearest stop sign.
As of September 2026, offering a prescription-only medicine without requiring a prescription was unlawful.
Source noteA payment screen is not a substitute for a licensed person who writes prescriptions.
A real online visit lets a doctor or nurse ask you questions back.
As of September 2026, a fixed online form with no follow-up questions was not an adequate medical assessment under national medical-board guidance.
Source noteAs of September 2026, California allowed an online questionnaire only when the care as a whole was as careful as a proper visit.
Source noteThose ideas do not belong together.
No compounded medicine carried FDA approval as of September 2026.
Source noteCompounding can serve a patient need, but approval cannot be borrowed from a different product.
research use only?
That label does not turn it into medicine for you.
As of September 2026, the FDA had told online sellers that research labels did not change products marketed for human use into lawful medicines.
Source noteIf the same page also gives mixing instructions, a dose calculator or health promises, it is plainly aimed at people, not at a laboratory.
Ask for the registered name before paying.
The most useful first question for an online service is which pharmacy will actually prepare and send the medicine.
Source noteAs of September 2026, California pharmacy and sterile-compounding licences were searchable through the state Board of Pharmacy.
Source note