Is that GLP-1 site legitimate? Run this exact checklist

Bright lines — walk away on any one of these

No prescription required. “Research use only” framing for human injection. Semaglutide sodium or acetate — FDA has flagged these salt forms as not the approved active ingredient and outside legitimate compounding. Prices wildly below the verified floor with no visible clinical process — our under-$99 rule. No identifiable pharmacy, or refusal to name it before payment.

Verify the prescriber (3 minutes)

Real telehealth names its clinical entity. Take the clinician or medical-group name to your state medical board’s license lookup — license active, no relevant discipline. A platform that can’t tell you who prescribes before you pay has answered your question.

Verify the pharmacy (5 minutes)

Get the dispensing pharmacy’s name (your label will carry it — legitimate providers name it beforehand). Check its license on the dispensing state’s board of pharmacy; check LegitScript’s directory; for compounders, PCAB/ACHC accreditation is a meaningful quality signal above bare licensure. Full walkthrough: the pharmacy page.

What a COA proves — and doesn’t

A certificate of analysis shows a specific tested batch met specifications for the tested attributes (identity, potency, sometimes sterility and endotoxin). It does not prove your vial’s handling, an untested attribute, or ongoing process quality — which is why accreditation plus licensure beats a PDF. Ask which third-party lab tests batches and whether testing covers potency, sterility, pH, and endotoxin.

Counterfeits and “too good” brand deals

Discounted “brand” pens from unverifiable sellers are the counterfeit vector FDA has repeatedly warned about. Brand product has exactly three legitimate rails: insurance at a licensed pharmacy, manufacturer-direct (LillyDirect, NovoCare), or a licensed pharmacy at list price. Anything else claiming brand at compounded prices is presumptively fake.

Report what you find

Bad actors and bad product go to FDA MedWatch (1-800-FDA-1088) and your state boards — reporting is the feedback loop that gets rogue sites and bad batches removed. Suspected counterfeit brand can also be reported to the manufacturer’s security line.