Match the name to the state record
Online customers may be unsure which compounder made their medicine, according to FDA, the Food and Drug Administration.
The pharmacy or facility preparing a medicine to order is called its compounder.
FDA’s BeSafeRx page links to the state records where you can look up a pharmacy’s licence.
Open the pharmacy licence searchesFinding the name proves a licence is recorded; it does not prove that the medicine is being supplied properly.
Check the destination, too
As of September 2026, most states required pharmacies based elsewhere to obtain their permission before sending medicine to patients there.
The permission’s name and terms can differ by state.
FDA’s online-pharmacy checklist calls for a valid prescription and a way to ask a licensed pharmacist questions.
FDA also warns that a convincing online storefront can be fake.
- What is the pharmacy’s full name?
- Is it listed with my state’s board of pharmacy?
- What permission lets it send medicine here?
- How do I ask a licensed pharmacist about the exact product?
- Will the pharmacy name on the label match the one you have given me?
Notes behind the answers
- FDA · identifying the compounder
The source for asking who actually produced a made-to-order medicine.
- FDA · state pharmacy licence searches
A route to the state’s own records.
- FDA · pharmacy permission in both states
The source for checking the state where the pharmacy operates and the patient’s state.
- FDA · online pharmacy checks
The source for prescription, pharmacist, and storefront checks.