Licensed Pharmacies: How to Verify Your Pharmacy Is Legitimate and Avoid Counterfeit Drugs

Every year, millions of people in the U.S. buy prescription drugs online. Some are looking for convenience. Others are trying to save money. But for too many, the search ends in danger-because they didn’t check if the pharmacy was real.

Counterfeit drugs are not just fake labels or poor packaging. They can contain no active ingredient, the wrong dose, toxic chemicals, or even rat poison. The FDA estimates that 1% to 3% of the $575 billion U.S. prescription drug market comes from illegal sources. That’s between $5.75 billion and $17.25 billion in potentially deadly medication circulating every year.

So how do you know if your pharmacy is licensed and safe? The answer isn’t complicated-but it’s often ignored. Most people assume a professional-looking website or a discount price means legitimacy. It doesn’t. Legitimate pharmacies follow strict rules. And you can verify them in minutes.

What Makes a Pharmacy Licensed?

A licensed pharmacy isn’t just a business with a storefront or a domain name. It’s a facility that has been inspected, approved, and monitored by a state board of pharmacy. Each state has its own board, but they all follow the same basic standards set by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

To be licensed, a pharmacy must:

• Have at least one licensed pharmacist in charge
• Pass a facility inspection
• Submit proof of insurance and financial responsibility
• Pay an annual license fee (ranging from $100 in Texas to $409 in California)
• Comply with state laws on controlled substances, recordkeeping, and patient counseling

The pharmacist in charge must also pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) with a score of at least 75 out of 150. Many states require a second exam on local pharmacy laws-like California’s CPJE. Without these, a pharmacy can’t legally operate.

There are about 66,000 licensed pharmacies in the U.S. today. And 92% of them keep their licenses active by renewing on time and staying in good standing. That means less than 1 in 10 unlicensed operations are still running after a year.

How to Check if a Pharmacy Is Legitimate

You don’t need a degree in pharmacy to verify a pharmacy. You just need five minutes and the right tools.

Start with the most basic rule: legitimate pharmacies require a valid prescription. If a website sells you pills without asking for one, walk away. That’s not a pharmacy-it’s a scam.

Next, look for a physical address. Type it into Google Maps. Does it show a real building? Is there a pharmacy sign? Does the street view match the photo on the website? Illegitimate pharmacies often use PO boxes, virtual offices, or addresses that belong to warehouses or vacant lots.

Then, check for a state pharmacy license. Every state has an online portal where you can search for licensed pharmacies. For example:

• California: Verify a License portal on the Board of Pharmacy website
• Florida: Free online lookup through the Department of Health
• New York: License search on the State Education Department site

Enter the pharmacy’s name or license number. Look for the status: “Active” is good. “Inactive,” “suspended,” or “revoked” means don’t buy from them.

Some states make this easy. Florida gives instant results. California takes up to 30 days for written requests-but their online system is fast. Twenty-eight states offer real-time verification. The rest? Still slow. But you don’t need to wait. Use the NABP Verify program instead.

The NABP Verify Program: Your National Safety Net

If you’re buying from an online pharmacy, or if the pharmacy operates in multiple states, use the NABP Verify program. It’s the only system that pulls data from all 50+ state boards in one place.

NABP Verify checks:

• Current license status
• Disciplinary history
• Pharmacist qualifications
• Compliance with federal and state laws

Results come back in under 24 hours. It costs $125 a year for pharmacists, but consumers can use it for free. Go to www.nabp.pharmacy/verify and search by pharmacy name or license number.

It’s not perfect. Some smaller pharmacies don’t pay for NABP membership. But if a pharmacy claims to be NABP-verified and you can’t find them in the system, that’s a red flag. Fake seals are common. In 2023, the Better Business Bureau reported a case where a consumer lost $850 to a site using a forged NABP logo.

Always cross-check with your state board. Don’t rely on one source.

VIPPS Accreditation: The Gold Standard for Online Pharmacies

For online-only pharmacies, look for the VIPPS seal. Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) is a program run by NABP that certifies online pharmacies meeting the highest safety standards.

To earn VIPPS, a pharmacy must:

• Be licensed in all states where it ships drugs
• Have a licensed pharmacist on staff 24/7
• Provide direct access to a pharmacist for questions
• Use secure, encrypted systems for prescriptions
• Pass an on-site inspection

Only about 2,000 U.S. pharmacies have VIPPS accreditation. You can find the full list on the NABP website. If a site says it’s VIPPS-certified but isn’t on the list, it’s lying.

And here’s something most people don’t know: major prescription benefit managers (PBMs) like CVS Caremark and Express Scripts now require VIPPS accreditation for pharmacies to join their networks. That means if your insurance works with a pharmacy, it’s likely already vetted.

What to Do If You Find a Fake Pharmacy

Spotting a fake pharmacy isn’t enough. You need to act.

If you suspect a pharmacy is unlicensed:

• Stop buying from them immediately
• Report them to your state board of pharmacy
• File a complaint with the FDA’s MedWatch program
• Let the Better Business Bureau know
• Warn others on review sites like Trustpilot or Reddit

In 2023, the FDA increased enforcement actions against illegal pharmacies by 22%. They’re getting better at shutting them down-but they can’t catch them all. Public reports help.

One real example: Maria Chen, a California resident, checked her pharmacy’s license in March 2024 and found the pharmacist-in-charge had resigned. The pharmacy was still operating without a licensed pharmacist-illegal under California law. She reported it. The state shut them down within two weeks.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Counterfeit drugs don’t just waste your money. They kill.

NABP data shows 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. That means someone could get a fake opioid, a fake insulin, or a fake blood thinner. The results? Hospitalizations. Overdoses. Death.

And it’s getting worse. The rise of digital pharmacies has made it easier for criminals to hide. The FDA found that 1 in 4 online medication sellers operate without a license. That’s up from 1 in 6 just five years ago.

But here’s the good news: you can protect yourself. The tools are free. The process is simple. And you don’t need to be a pharmacist to use them.

Every time you buy medication, ask: Is this pharmacy licensed? Is it verified? Is it safe?

If you can’t answer yes to all three-don’t buy.

Quick Checklist: Is Your Pharmacy Legitimate?

Use this before you click “Buy Now”:

1. Does the pharmacy require a valid prescription? Yes → Keep going. No → Walk away.
2. Is there a physical address? Check Google Maps. Does it look real? Yes → Keep going. No → Walk away.
3. Can you verify the license through your state board of pharmacy? Yes → Keep going. No → Walk away.
4. Is the pharmacy VIPPS-accredited? Check the NABP list. Yes → You’re safe. No → Proceed with caution.
5. Can you speak to a licensed pharmacist? Yes → Good. No → Red flag.

If you answer yes to all five, you’re using a legitimate pharmacy.

If you answer no to even one-stop. Find another.