Every year, millions of people buy medications online. Some get their pills from a trusted local pharmacy. Others click through ads promising cheap prescriptions with free shipping. But here’s the truth: licensed pharmacies are the only ones you can trust to give you safe, real medicine. The rest? They could be selling fake, expired, or dangerous drugs.

Why Licensed Pharmacies Matter

Counterfeit drugs aren’t just a problem overseas. In the U.S., the FDA estimates that 1% to 3% of the $575 billion prescription drug market comes from unlicensed sources. That’s between $5.75 billion and $17.25 billion in fake or unsafe medications floating around. These aren’t harmless imitations. Some contain no active ingredient. Others have too much or too little of the drug. Some are laced with rat poison, fentanyl, or industrial chemicals.

Licensed pharmacies are the firewall between you and that danger. They’re required by law to follow strict rules: pharmacists must be licensed, facilities must pass inspections, and all drugs must come from approved suppliers. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) tracks over 66,000 licensed pharmacies in the U.S. And 92% of them stay in good standing - meaning they’re actively complying with state and federal rules.

How to Spot a Legitimate Pharmacy

If you’re buying medicine - whether in person or online - here’s what to check:

  • Requires a valid prescription. Any pharmacy that sells prescription drugs without one is illegal. No exceptions.
  • Has a physical address. Type it into Google Maps. If it’s a residential house, a PO Box with no storefront, or a location that doesn’t exist, walk away.
  • Displays a state pharmacy license. Legitimate pharmacies show their license number visibly - on the wall, on their website, or in their app. If you can’t find it, ask.
  • Has a licensed pharmacist available. In 45 states, it’s required that a pharmacist be on-site or available by phone to answer questions. Call them. Ask about side effects. If they can’t talk to you, they’re not legit.
  • Is verified by NABP’s VIPPS program. The Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) seal means the pharmacy has passed a rigorous review. Look for it on the website. Click it. It should link to the NABP verification page.

How to Verify a Pharmacy License (Step by Step)

Verifying a pharmacy doesn’t take long - and it could save your life. Here’s how:

  1. Find your state’s board of pharmacy website. Search for “[Your State] Board of Pharmacy.” For example, California’s is pharmacy.ca.gov. Florida’s is flhealthsource.gov.
  2. Use their license lookup tool. Most have a free search tool. Enter the pharmacy’s name or license number. Don’t include prefixes like “Pharm.” or “LP” - just the numbers.
  3. Check the status. Look for “Active” or “In Good Standing.” Avoid any pharmacy marked “Inactive,” “Suspended,” or “Under Investigation.”
  4. Look for disciplinary actions. Some states list past violations - like dispensing errors or selling without a license. Even one red flag is enough to walk away.
  5. Double-check with NABP Verify. Go to nabp.pharmacy and use their national database. It pulls data from 50+ state boards. If the pharmacy shows up here as active, you’re safe.

Pro tip: California requires pharmacies to display their license number on every prescription label. If yours doesn’t have it, call the board. In March 2024, a woman in San Diego discovered her pharmacy’s pharmacist-in-charge had resigned - and no one was legally authorized to fill prescriptions. She caught it because she checked the license status.

Consumer using magnifying glass to verify online pharmacy, surrounded by floating counterfeit pills and verification icons in stylized illustration.

Online Pharmacies: The Biggest Risk

The biggest threat today comes from online pharmacies that look real but aren’t. They use fake seals, copy legitimate websites, and even hire actors to pose as pharmacists in videos.

The FDA’s Operation Safety Script found that 1 in 4 online pharmacies selling prescription drugs operate without a license. And here’s the scary part: many of them use fake NABP accreditation seals. You can’t just trust a logo. You have to click it and see if it links to a real verification page.

The Verified Pharmacy Program (VPP), launched in 2020, helps multi-state online pharmacies get verified in one go. But only 312 pharmacies are enrolled as of late 2023 - meaning most online sellers still fly under the radar.

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

If you bought medicine from a shady site:

  • Stop taking the pills. Even if they seem to work, they could be poisoning you.
  • Call your doctor. Tell them what you took and where you got it.
  • Report it to the FDA. Use their MedWatch portal at fda.gov/medwatch.
  • File a complaint with the FTC. Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov.
  • Check your bank statements. If you paid with a credit card, dispute the charge immediately.

In July 2023, a man in Ohio lost $850 to a fake pharmacy that showed a forged NABP seal. He didn’t realize it was fake until his pills didn’t work and his doctor flagged the batch. He filed a report - and later found 17 others had been scammed by the same site.

Woman's reflection shows her pharmacist's face, symbolizing trust, while fake websites swirl around her in dramatic poster art.

Why Verification Isn’t Perfect

Let’s be honest: the system isn’t flawless. Some states charge $120 to verify a license. Others do it for free. California takes 30 days to respond to written requests. Florida gives you instant results online. Some states require fingerprint background checks. Others don’t.

This inconsistency confuses people. A 2023 University of Florida study found that 38% of consumers didn’t understand what “administrative suspension” meant. Another study showed the average person spends only 2.7 minutes checking a pharmacy - not nearly enough time to spot a fake.

And here’s the kicker: many pharmacies that are legally licensed still cut corners. A 2022 NABP enforcement report found that unlicensed pharmacies are 4.7 times more likely to dispense the wrong medication and 8.2 times more likely to be involved in controlled substance diversion.

What’s Changing in 2025

Regulators are catching up. In January 2024, California started requiring out-of-state online pharmacies shipping to residents to offer an 800-number for pharmacist consultations. The FDA has launched a $15 million initiative to track fake online pharmacies - with a goal of cutting consumer harm by 40% by 2026.

NABP’s InterConnect system, rolled out in early 2024, now gives real-time license updates across 43 states. That means if a pharmacy’s license gets suspended, you’ll know within hours - not weeks.

And more pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) - the middlemen that handle insurance claims - are now requiring NABP Verify credentials before they’ll pay for prescriptions. That’s forcing more pharmacies to get verified just to stay in business.

Your Responsibility

You can’t assume your pharmacy is safe just because it’s been around for years. You can’t trust a website because it looks professional. You can’t believe a price that’s too good to be true - because it probably is.

The only way to be sure is to verify. Every time. Even if you’ve used the same pharmacy for a decade. Licenses expire. Pharmacists leave. Owners change.

It takes five minutes. It costs nothing. And it might save your life.

How do I know if my pharmacy is licensed?

Check your state’s Board of Pharmacy website and search for the pharmacy by name or license number. Look for “Active” status. You can also use NABP’s Verify tool at nabp.pharmacy. If the pharmacy doesn’t show up or shows “Inactive,” it’s not licensed.

Can I trust online pharmacies that offer discounts?

Discounts alone don’t mean a pharmacy is legitimate. Many fake pharmacies offer deep discounts to lure customers. Always verify the pharmacy’s license through your state board or NABP. If they don’t require a prescription, skip them - no matter how cheap they are.

What’s the difference between VIPPS and NABP Verify?

VIPPS is a certification program that means a pharmacy has met strict standards for online operations - including secure websites, pharmacist availability, and proper dispensing. NABP Verify is a database that shows whether a pharmacy holds a valid state license. A pharmacy can be licensed (verified) without being VIPPS-certified, but VIPPS means it’s both licensed and follows best practices for online sales.

Are all pharmacies in big chains like CVS or Walgreens licensed?

Yes. All CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and other major chain pharmacies are licensed by their respective state boards. But if you’re using their online service, make sure you’re on their official website - not a lookalike site. Always check the URL and look for the padlock symbol in your browser.

What should I do if I suspect a pharmacy is selling fake drugs?

Stop using the medication. Contact your doctor immediately. Then report the pharmacy to the FDA through MedWatch and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you paid with a credit card, dispute the charge. Your report could help shut down a dangerous operation.

Is it legal to buy medicine from a pharmacy outside the U.S.?

It’s technically illegal under U.S. law to import prescription drugs from other countries, even if they’re the same medication. The FDA doesn’t regulate foreign pharmacies, so you have no guarantee the drugs are safe, genuine, or properly stored. Most cases of counterfeit drugs in the U.S. come from overseas sources.

Do I need to verify my pharmacy every time I refill a prescription?

You don’t need to check every time - but you should review the license status at least once a year. Pharmacies can lose their license due to violations, financial issues, or staff changes. A pharmacy that was fine last year might not be compliant today.