No prescription
As of September 2026, it breaks federal law to hand out a prescription medicine to anyone lacking a valid prescription.
Red flag notes · before paying
What to avoid before money or medicine changes hands
One red flag may have an innocent explanation. Several together are a reason to stop and verify.
Product red flags
The label and sales page can show that a product is being sold for people to inject with no prescription, for example a vial marked “research use only” sold alongside water for mixing it.
Research label plus injection supplies
In 2026 warning letters, FDA said that “research use only” wording did not undo evidence that sellers intended their products for human injection.
Claims of FDA approval
As of September 2026, no compounded medicine has FDA approval.
No pharmacy name
If the service will not name the dispensing pharmacy before payment, the Ohio licence record cannot be checked.
Visit red flags
A polished intake can still be too thin to support a medical decision.
Medical-board guidance current in September 2026 says a clinician should not treat you based only on a medicine you picked from a website list, or on a fixed tick-box form that cannot ask you follow-up questions. It also says you must be able to ask the clinician your own questions.
- No clinician name or licence type.
- No questions about health history or current medicines.
- No way to ask the decision-maker a question.
- No explanation of follow-up, tests or when in-person care is needed.
- A guaranteed prescription before the assessment.
Payment red flags
A strange payment method can be a clearer signal than the health claims.
In July 2026, the Federal Trade Commission named one scam sign: a seller who accepts only bank transfer, wire, cryptocurrency, payment apps or gift cards.
Before paying, save the full price, refund terms, clinician name and pharmacy name in one place.
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