Federal fact file dated September 26, 2026.
Bring the offer down to plain words
Bring a short list and a blank space for notes. Write down the replies as you hear them.
Ask what problem the treatment addresses
Describe what brought you to the visit. Ask the person assessing your health to name the problem they think the treatment could address. Ask what would change their mind.
The Federation of State Medical Boards says selecting a treatment from a menu, with no proper assessment, falls below the standard of care.
Open the boards’ report on prescribing
This medical-board guidance does not take the place of Missouri’s enforceable rules.
- What is the medicine’s full name, and how would it be given?
- What makes this a fit for the problem we discussed?
- What are the other choices, including waiting?
Ask who would do each part
FDA refers to the U.S. medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration.
A compounder is the person or facility that prepares a medicine to order.
For care arranged online, the FDA notes that patients may not know which compounder actually prepared their medicine.
Read the FDA note on who prepared the medicine
- Who would assess me, and what licence do they hold: doctor, nurse or another type?
- Who makes the medicine, if it is prepared to order?
- Who can answer questions after the visit?
Ask for the answer you can take home
Ask for a written summary of the proposal, the full bill and the follow-up plan. Read it back in your own words. Mark anything that still feels unclear.
If a response is mostly a slogan, ask the same question with the product name in it. You can take time to read before making a choice.