Can the claim be checked?
Pause if there is no proof the exact medicine is approved.
FDA, short for Food and Drug Administration, is the US agency that reviews drug products.
As of September 2026, FDA says that registration, a drug listing or a drug code does not establish product approval. [A]
A drug code, also called an NDC number, identifies an entry in a directory; it is not an approval stamp. [A]
Compounded means prepared to order. [A]
These preparations do not have FDA approval, even when a pharmacy is licensed. [A]
Pause if the medicine’s source stays hidden.
FDA has found false labels on compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, including labels naming pharmacies that do not exist. [B]
Ask who actually made the preparation. Check that name in the state pharmacy record, rather than relying on the care service’s branding.
Find the state pharmacy licence searchPause if there is no way to ask more.
Medical boards are state bodies that license doctors and can take action over their conduct.
As of September 2026, advice from the national group for medical boards rejects prescribing from a form with preset answers and no exchange of questions. [C]
A clinician is the doctor, nurse or other health professional who assesses or treats you.
FDA’s online weight-care checks also flag services without a clinician available for questions after the medicine arrives. [B]
Ask who replies to concerns, how you reach them and what a further visit costs.
Ask how to store your exact medicine.
Storage needs differ by product; a blanket claim that all peptides need a fridge is wrong. [D]
GLP-1 drugs are medicines that copy a hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar. [B]
For GLP-1 medicines given as shots that arrive warm or poorly chilled, FDA advises against use because quality may be affected. [B]
Have the pharmacist walk you through the label and explain any concern about delivery. For a medicine problem, FDA’s MedWatch reporting service is open to patients. [E]
Read how to report a medicine problemNext: read the evidence behind a claimSource notes for this page
- [A]FDA: drug codes and approval
As of September 2026, FDA registration and a drug code do not prove approval. A medicine prepared to order has no FDA approval.
- [B]FDA: online weight-care concerns
As of September 2026, FDA warns about false pharmacy names on weight-medicine labels and deliveries that arrive too warm.
- [C]Medical boards: proper assessment
The national group’s advice allows a form that leads to more questions with a clinician. A form with only preset answers cannot replace that exchange.
- [D]National Institutes of Health: medicine-storage information
The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, publishes patient information through MedlinePlus. Storage instructions depend on the exact medicine; read its label.
- [E]FDA: MedWatch reporting
A report by itself does not prove that a medicine caused the problem.