Start with the state record
Pharmacies get their licences from a state board of pharmacy, which also keeps the licence records; doctors are licensed by a separate body.
Why this source matters
The pharmacy boards’ national group has a list of state boards. The state board issues the pharmacy licence.
If an online pharmacy is missing from your state’s list of licensed pharmacies, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises you to avoid it.
Why this source matters
FDA means the Food and Drug Administration. The licence record, by itself, cannot show whether a pharmacy supplies the right medicine for you.
If the medicine comes from another state
In the rules checked September 26, 2026, most states required a pharmacy in another state to have a local licence or permit.
That permission had to come from the state receiving the medicine, before the pharmacy shipped it.
Why this source matters
Requirements vary by state. FDA advises checking licences where the pharmacy operates and where you live.
- What is the pharmacy’s exact registered name?
- Which record confirms its licence where I receive the medicine?
- How can I ask its pharmacist a question?