Skip to the page Skip to guide contents Care, from a distance A plain-language online-care guide Guide contents When to pause Pause when the offer skips the checks. Look at what the service asks, what it claims and who can answer questions afterward. When the question is urgent Severe reaction signs need emergency help. A swollen face or tongue, or trouble breathing or swallowing, may signal a severe allergic reaction. [F] MedlinePlus advises calling the local emergency number or going to an emergency department for severe signs of this reaction. Look at the offer before accepting it A menu takes the place of an assessment In guidance checked in September 2026, the group of state medical boards says a treatment menu cannot replace an assessment of your health problem. You also need a way to ask the person providing care your own questions. [A] Ask who assesses your concern, how they ask further questions and how you ask yours. The ability to select a product is not an assessment. A research label sits beside treatment claims In warning letters checked in September 2026, FDA said sellers’ claims about treating people showed they were offering medicines, even when labels said research use only. [C] These letters state FDA’s accusations against the firms named in them. They are not court decisions. A research label is not proof of a product review for use in people. Check the proof behind the claims Compounding is presented as approval As of September 2026, compounded medicines lacked FDA approval; the agency did not review their safety, benefit or quality ahead of marketing. [B] Compounding itself and a false approval claim are different issues. A claim of approval cannot replace the missing review. A badge takes the place of a record The Federal Trade Commission cautions that health-site logos and seals that look official may be fake. [D] Use the state licence record for the doctor and the pharmacy. Ask for the names needed to check it. A polished page is not the record. A low price comes with missing answers FDA lists unusually deep discounts as a warning sign, but price alone is not a test of legitimacy. [E] Look at the price alongside the missing licence, unclear pharmacy identity or lack of a pharmacist to answer questions. Ask for clear written charges and the names behind the care before comparing the offer. Page notes [A] Medical-board guidance on product menus and care [B] FDA on the review compounded products do not receive [C] FDA enforcement letter on research labels and product claims [D] FTC on health-site seals and logos [E] FDA’s signs to check in an online pharmacy [F] MedlinePlus on urgent allergic reaction signs Continue with the next question Common questions Find your next question The guide, at a glance. Begin at the first look, or turn straight to the part of care on your mind. Get your bearings First look What the substance is Before the visit Follow the care process The prescribing decision Questions about tests Check the pharmacy After the visit Work through the details Paying for care When to pause Common questions Source notes These pages help make sense of online care. The site is a guide and does not operate a clinic or sell treatment. Read this page as text Text guide index