Approved, compounded or research-only?

Start with the product

FDA approval belongs to a specific product, formulation and use. A familiar molecule name does not make every product containing it approved.

Compounding can meet a patient's medical need when an approved product does not. Compounded medicines are not FDA-approved and do not undergo the same premarket review.

A seller's “research-only” label does not demonstrate that a product is suitable for human use. Ask a pharmacist what product you have and which label applies.

Read a claim carefully

“Studied” tells you that someone investigated a question. It does not tell you the result, the study quality or whether it involved people. Check the population, the outcome and the limits before accepting a claim.