Caution briefing / Pause and check
What to avoid, and when to get help.
Keep the checks close to the actual product and the person handling your care. For severe allergy symptoms, start with the urgent-help box.
Severe allergy symptoms need urgent help
If breathing is difficult, or your face or tongue swells, a severe allergic reaction may be the cause.
For severe symptoms, MedlinePlus directs urgent action.
Call 911, or go straight to the closest emergency room.
Do not let a label replace the checks
FDA, short for Food and Drug Administration, is the U.S. agency responsible for reviewing medicines.
FDA warns against weight-loss products labelled for research but offered for human use, as of September 26, 2026; their quality is unknown, and they may be harmful.
The words “research use only” are not a route to medical care. Ask for the medicine’s status and the clinician’s reason for proposing it.
A compounded medicine is prepared for a patient’s particular need.
FDA has reported false pharmacy names on labels of compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, as checked September 26, 2026.
Match the name on the label with the pharmacy named in your care plan. Use the state licensing record to check it.
Question claims that skip the product’s status
Calling a compounded medicine “FDA-approved” is a false claim; these medicines lack FDA approval, as of September 26, 2026.
As of September 26, 2026, federal rules require a valid prescription for a prescription medicine.
Ask who can explain the label
Reports received by FDA describe measurement mistakes involving compounded semaglutide that may have resulted in hospital stays, as checked September 26, 2026.
If the instructions are unclear, ask the person prescribing the medicine or the pharmacist supplying it to explain them before use.
FDA lists a pharmacist available for questions as a sign to look for in an online pharmacy.
Ask how to reach the clinician with concerns after the medicine arrives. FDA flags services without a doctor available for those questions.
Storage belongs to the exact product
Storage needs differ between medicines. Some require cold storage while others do not; follow the label for your product and the instructions from its pharmacy.
Keep the check tied to your own medicine
For injectable semaglutide and tirzepatide, FDA advises against use after warm or poorly chilled delivery, as checked September 17, 2026.
For a concern about the medicine, patients can also report it through FDA’s MedWatch service.
A report puts a concern on record; it does not establish that the medicine caused the problem.
Return to the care and pharmacy checks