Telehealth and online-pharmacy terms, explained

503A compounding pharmacy

A state-licensed pharmacy (or physician) that compounds drugs for individual patients, based on a prescription, under section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA says state boards of pharmacy generally oversee these pharmacies day to day, and 503A compounded drugs are not subject to current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved; FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.

503B outsourcing facility

A compounder registered with FDA under section 503B, a category created by the Drug Quality and Security Act in 2013. FDA primarily oversees these facilities, inspects them on a risk-based schedule and holds them to CGMP requirements; their products are still not FDA-approved.

Age-related hypogonadism

FDA’s term for signs and symptoms linked to low blood testosterone without a clear cause. In June 2026, HHS said FDA is requesting removal of the label statement that testosterone therapy’s safety and effectiveness for this condition have not been established.

Anabolic steroid

In federal law, a drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone, excluding estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids and DHEA. Congress placed anabolic steroids in Schedule III through laws passed in 1990 and 2004.

Asynchronous visit (store-and-forward)

Care that is not live: you send messages, images, records or lab results, and a clinician reviews them later. HHS says this store-and-forward approach is often used for patient intake or follow-up care.

Auto-renewal

Billing that continues until you cancel. The BBB explains that the company “charges your credit or debit card on the expiration date, and the subscription renews for another period.” Note the cancellation date.

BBB accreditation

A status a business keeps while it meets the Better Business Bureau’s standards, such as advertising honestly, being transparent and honoring promises. “BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation.”

BBB rating

A grade from A+ (highest) to F (lowest) representing “BBB’s opinion of how a business is likely to interact with its customers.” BBB says a rating is not a guarantee of reliability, and “NR” means no rating.

BeSafeRx

FDA’s campaign on buying medicine online. FDA says a safe online pharmacy requires a prescription, lists a US address and phone number, has a licensed pharmacist available and is licensed by a state board of pharmacy.

Boxed warning

A warning in bold inside a black border at the start of a drug’s full prescribing information, sometimes called a “black-box warning.” FDA says it covers warnings about serious adverse reactions that may lead to death or serious injury.

Brand-name vs generic drug

A brand-name drug is the original product, tested by its developer in clinical studies. Generics are “FDA-approved copies of brand drugs” with the same active ingredients, strength, dosage form and route of administration. A compounded drug is not a generic.

CLIA-certified lab

A lab certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, the program through which CMS regulates testing on people in the US to assess health or to diagnose, prevent or treat disease. Ask which lab processes an at-home kit.

Compounded medication

A medication prepared by a licensed pharmacist, physician or outsourcing facility, for example for a patient who cannot use an FDA-approved drug. FDA states: “Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. This means that FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness or quality of compounded drugs before they are marketed.” That includes compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Controlled substance schedules

DEA’s five categories, Schedules I to V, based on accepted medical use and potential for abuse or dependence. Schedule III drugs have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence”; DEA lists testosterone there.

DEA registration

The federal registration a practitioner needs to prescribe or dispense controlled substances. It requires authority under state law, and DEA regulations normally require a separate registration in each state where a practitioner dispenses them.

Drug shortage list

FDA’s list of drugs in shortage; compounders may prepare versions of listed drugs if conditions in federal law are met. FDA declared the tirzepatide injection shortage resolved in 2024 and the semaglutide injection shortage resolved on February 21, 2025, and said on April 1, 2026 that neither appears on the list. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved; FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.

E-prescribing (EPCS)

Sending prescriptions electronically. DEA rules effective June 1, 2010 let practitioners e-prescribe controlled substances and pharmacies receive, dispense and archive those prescriptions; DEA’s 2025 special registration proposal would require it for prescriptions issued under that registration.

“Essentially a copy”

An FDA compounding term. 503A compounders may not regularly or in inordinate amounts compound copies of commercially available drugs; FDA’s April 2026 update treats a product as a copy if it has the same active ingredient at a same, similar or easily substitutable strength and the same route, unless a prescriber documents a significant difference. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved; FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.

FDA approval

FDA’s determination, after reviewing a company’s data, that a drug’s benefits outweigh its known and potential risks for the intended population. Approved drugs carry FDA-approved labeling on benefits and risks.

FDA warning letter

A notice FDA often sends when it believes it has found significant violations of federal requirements, such as poor manufacturing practices or problems with product claims. FDA requests a response and may later issue a close-out letter.

Formulary

In CMS’s words, “A drug list, also called a formulary, is a list of prescription drugs covered by your health plan.” Check it before assuming a brand-name drug is covered.

GLP-1 medication

Short for glucagon-like peptide-1 medication, FDA’s term for semaglutide and tirzepatide injection products. Brand-name and compounded versions differ: compounded drugs are not FDA-approved; FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.

Good Faith Estimate

If you are not using insurance, a provider usually must give you an estimate of expected charges when you ask or book at least 3 business days ahead. CMS says you can dispute a bill at least $400 above a provider’s or facility’s estimate.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Its Privacy Rule sets national standards protecting identifiable health information held by health plans, clearinghouses and providers that conduct certain transactions electronically; most must give you a notice of privacy practices.

HSA and FSA

A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-exempt account for certain medical expenses; a health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) is usually funded through employer salary reduction. IRS Publication 502 counts prescribed medicines as medical expenses, and weight-loss costs only when they treat a physician-diagnosed disease. Publication 969 says a plan can skip the deductible for telehealth and still count as a high-deductible health plan, for plan years beginning after 2024.

In-person medical evaluation

A face-to-face exam. Under the Ryan Haight Act, controlled substances may be prescribed remotely only after at least one in-person evaluation, unless an exception, such as the current DEA telemedicine flexibilities, applies.

LegitScript certification

A certification for healthcare businesses such as pharmacies and telemedicine providers. Its standards include proper licensure, legal compliance, disclosure of prior discipline, valid prescriptions and transparency; LegitScript says it helps businesses qualify to advertise on Google, Microsoft and Meta, and its site can check whether a website is certified.

Medication Guide

FDA-approved patient labeling required for certain drugs, for example when it could help prevent serious adverse reactions. It is dispensed with the drug, on paper unless you request electronic delivery.

MedWatch

FDA’s program for reporting serious reactions, quality problems and use errors with medical products, including drugs. Patients can report online or through 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332); a health care provider is not required to report for you.

Membership fee

A recurring charge for access to a clinic’s services, such as messaging or follow-ups, separate from the medication price. It can renew automatically, so check whether advertised prices include it; our review criteria include whether such fees are disclosed.

National Drug Code (NDC)

The unique three-segment number FDA uses to identify drugs. FDA warns: “Assignment of an NDC number does not in any way denote FDA approval of the product.”

Off-label use

Prescribing an approved drug for an unapproved use, such as a different condition, form or dose. FDA says providers generally may do so when they judge it medically appropriate, but “FDA has not determined that the drug is safe and effective for the unapproved use.”

Orange Book

FDA’s publication that “identifies drug products approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness.” FDA suggests checking it to see whether a generic version exists.

Prescribing Information

FDA-approved labeling written for health care professionals. Companies must update it when new information makes it inaccurate, false or misleading, so check the revision date.

Prior authorization

An approval step in which the provider submits a request and gets a decision before the service is rendered, as CMS describes it; CMS also lists it among rules health plans may apply to certain prescription drugs.

Ryan Haight Act

The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which “generally requires an in-person medical evaluation prior to the issuance of a prescription of controlled substances,” with telemedicine exceptions. See our guide to federal TRT prescribing rules.

Special registration for telemedicine

A DEA registration proposed January 17, 2025 that would let qualified clinicians and online platforms prescribe or dispense certain controlled substances by telemedicine without a prior in-person exam, with electronic prescribing and nationwide monitoring-database checks. The 2026 Unified Agenda lists it at the final rule stage; no final rule had been published as of September 16, 2026.

State licensure

A state’s authorization to practice. HHS says clinicians must “be licensed or legally permitted to practice in the state where the patient is located,” so where you are during a visit matters.

Synchronous visit

A live video or phone visit. In HHS’s words, “Synchronous telehealth is real-time, virtual care.”

Telehealth

Using electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical care, health education, public health and health administration (HRSA’s definition, cited by HHS), by video, audio or text.

Telemedicine flexibilities

Temporary DEA–HHS rules letting DEA-registered practitioners prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances by telemedicine without a prior in-person evaluation, if conditions are met. First extended on May 10, 2023; the fourth extension runs January 1 through December 31, 2026.

Titration

Adjusting a dose in planned steps. The Wegovy prescribing information (revised October 2025), for example, sets a dose-escalation schedule to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions. We do not reproduce dose tables.

Trustpilot and TrustScore

An open review platform for genuine experiences; Trustpilot says businesses can “never pay to remove reviews.” The TrustScore reflects how many reviews a business has and how old they are, calculated so businesses with few reviews start from a neutral baseline, and Trustpilot flags profiles it is investigating or has acted against.

Our GLP-1 clinic and men’s clinic reviews use these terms, and our review criteria look for a named pharmacy with its 503A or 503B status, disclosed fees, a published state list and clear refund terms.

Definitions are general information, not medical, legal or tax advice, based on the sources below as read on September 16, 2026.