A prescription medicine offered with no prescription
Under federal law, a valid prescription must come before the supply of a prescription medicine, as of September 26, 2026.
If the offer skips that step, pause before payment. Find out who will assess your needs and write the prescription.
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Approval claimed for a medicine made to order
As of September 26, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved medicines prepared to order (compounded).
As of September 26, 2026, FDA says it is misleading to claim a compounded medicine is 'the same as' an approved drug. It also rejects claims that a compounded medicine is proven to produce the same results as an approved drug.
Compounding means preparing a medicine to order. Ask what the product actually is and what review it has had.
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No way to ask the person treating you a question
Medical board guidance calls for patient follow-up questions and rejects using a fixed online form alone to decide treatment, as of September 26, 2026.
That is guidance for state boards, rather than a single national prescribing law.
Before the medicine arrives, and afterward, ask how to contact the person providing your care. Then check the Massachusetts care requirements.
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Payment allowed only through unusual routes
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publishes consumer advice about scams.
FTC warns about demands to pay only by gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency, wire or bank transfer, as of September 26, 2026.
Cryptocurrency is digital money. A wire is a way to send money between bank accounts.
The key word is only. Save the request and the payment terms before deciding what to do next.
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Where a complaint can go in Massachusetts
As of September 30, 2026, complaints about doctors go to the medicine board, and complaints about nurses go to the nursing board.
The state health-licensing complaint route covers pharmacies and physician assistants, as of September 30, 2026.
The Attorney General takes business-practice complaints, as of September 30, 2026.
Keep the names, dates, messages and receipts that explain your concern. Use the complaint route for the person or business involved.