Work through the question
Keep the answers with your notes.
For approval, ask for the product record.
As of September 26, 2026, an NDC number does not establish FDA approval of a medicine.
A product can be identified by a number called a National Drug Code, shortened to NDC. A seller may show you the number in a government product list. Ask for the FDA record showing that the exact medicine was approved.
For a compounded version, question claims of sameness.
An approved copy of a branded medicine is called a generic.
As of September 26, 2026, the FDA rejects three claims about made-to-order drugs. Calling one an approved generic is false or misleading. So is saying it is the same as an approved medicine. So is saying it is proven to give the same result.
Ask which exact product the evidence studied.
For a harm report, check what it proves.
The FDA explains that a problem report proves neither that the medicine was the cause nor how often that problem happens.
A report is a signal to examine, not proof of cause. Ask whether an explanation concerns reports, a study or an official label.
For a letter about a business, read the date.
FDA warning letters describe issues at a point in time; later discussions with the business can change the status of those issues.
Check the letter, any response and any later update together. Finding no letter does not prove that the FDA checked that service.
For a price, check its terms.
Ask what the amount covers, who can use it and how long it lasts. Compare the same product and payment route.
Open the sources for this checklist
Use the record that matches the question you are checking.