How to verify an online pharmacy

What “verified” means on this site

• Verified – US: Appears on LegitScript certification status and/or NABP Accredited Digital Pharmacies, and is licensed to ship to the patient’s state. These are the strongest signals for US patients.
• Verified – CIPA (international): Appears on the Canadian International Pharmacy Association Safe Pharmacies list. CIPA membership is a quality signal—it is not US FDA authorization to import drugs for personal use.
• Not found on accreditation lists: We checked, and the pharmacy was not on those lists as of the date shown. We show these listings for reviews only, with no outbound link. That does not automatically mean the site is illegitimate, but you should be cautious and do extra checks.

We do not display CIPA, LegitScript, or NABP seals. Those marks belong to the certified organizations. We use plain-text status plus links to the official lookup pages.

Step 1 — Check CIPA (international / Canadian-facing pharmacies)

1. Open the official list: CIPA Safe Pharmacies.
2. Search for the exact domain you plan to use (for example, examplepharmacy.com). Matching the hostname matters—lookalikes are common.
3. Also check CIPA’s page of sites that are not certified or authorized: Websites not certified or authorized by CIPA.
4. Note the date you checked. Membership can change.

Reminder: FDA states that in most circumstances it is illegal for individuals to import drugs for personal use. See FDA: Personal Importation. CIPA listing does not make personal importation legal under US law.

Step 2 — Check LegitScript

1. Open LegitScript Website Certification Status.
2. Look up the pharmacy’s website URL.
3. Confirm the certification applies to the exact domain and remains current.

LegitScript’s healthcare standards generally require licensure in the jurisdiction where the patient is located. A Canadian pharmacy shipping to US patients typically cannot be LegitScript-certified for the US market. Treat LegitScript certification as especially relevant for US-facing pharmacies and telehealth brands.

Step 3 — Check NABP

1. Review NABP Accredited Digital Pharmacies: NABP Accredited Digital Pharmacies.
2. Also use NABP’s consumer resources at safe.pharmacy and review any “Not Recommended” listings NABP publishes.
3. Confirm the pharmacy name and domain match what you found.

Step 4 — For US pharmacies, confirm state licensure

1. Use FDA BeSafeRx’s state license lookup guidance: Locate a state-licensed online pharmacy.
2. Confirm the pharmacy is licensed in your state if it ships to you (nonresident pharmacy rules vary by state).
3. Optionally search FDA warning letters for the company name.

Red flags (FDA BeSafeRx and common sense)

• Offers prescription drugs without a valid prescription.
• Sells or advertises controlled substances (opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, etc.) online in ways that look unauthorized.
• No physical address, no licensed pharmacist contact, or the site hides who operates it.
• Prices that seem too good to be true, or heavy pressure to pay by wire, crypto, or gift cards.
• Spelling/domain lookalikes of well-known pharmacies.
• Claims to be “CIPA certified” or “FDA approved pharmacy” that you cannot confirm on the official lists above.
• Poor HTTPS / security warnings, or the site asks for unnecessary personal health uploads in an insecure way.

If you see “no prescription needed” for a prescription-only drug, stop and report the site through FDA BeSafeRx / your state board pathways rather than ordering.

What we do after you submit a pharmacy

When you submit a pharmacy, it is held as pending and automatically screened for controlled-substance or “no Rx” language. A moderator then checks it against the official CIPA, LegitScript, and NABP lists, records the date and source, and assigns a status before anything is published. Every listing is checked before it is published. Details: Submit a pharmacy guidelines.