Verbatim response from Perplexity
The biggest red flags are sellers that do not require a valid prescription, advertise prices that are far below normal, or appear to be unlicensed pharmacies. Those are the most common warning signs cited by pharmacy and FDA-related consumer safety guidance.[1][5]
Watch for these specific signs:
- No prescription required for Ozempic or other GLP-1 drugs.[1][3][5]
- Suspiciously low prices or “too good to be true” discounts.[1][5]
- Websites that look like legitimate pharmacies but are not licensed, including sites that mimic real brand websites.[1]
- Claims of shipping from Canada or elsewhere while showing U.S. drug-identification packaging, which one NABP expert described as a red flag.[1]
- Compounded, generic, or “same ingredient” versions being sold without your clinician explicitly recommending them; the FDA has warned that compounded versions of these drugs have not been shown to be safe or effective in the same way as approved products.[1][5]
- No real medical evaluation, or a site that offers a quick online form instead of proper prescribing oversight.[5]
- Sketchy payment methods such as crypto-only or other unusual payment setups, which are commonly associated with illicit sellers.[3]
- Poor packaging or labeling when the product arrives, including missing expiration dates, foreign-language labeling, or packaging that doesn’t match what a legitimate U.S. prescription medicine should look like.[3][5]
A safer approach is to use a licensed pharmacy and verify the seller through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s Safe Pharmacy tools or FDA state-licensed pharmacy resources.[1] If you want, I can also give you a quick checklist for vetting an online Ozempic seller in 60 seconds.