Pharmacy verification
State Board Pharmacy License Check Guide
Two separate checks matter: the pharmacy's licence with the state board of pharmacy, and the prescriber's licence with the state medical board. Find the boards through the NABP and FSMB directories, search by name, and confirm each is current. An NPI number is identity in a national registry, not a licence.
Two credentials, two bodies, two lookups
Patients frequently check one and assume the other. They are separate records held by separate regulators, and either can be lapsed while the other is current.
The pharmacy is licensed by a state board of pharmacy. Reach it through the NABP directory of member boards.
The prescriber is licensed by a state medical board. Reach it through the FSMB directory, which covers 70 state medical and osteopathic boards across the US, its territories and DC.
The NPI confusion
A National Provider Identifier is an identification number in the national NPPES registry. An active NPI establishes that a clinician exists in that registry. It does not establish that they hold a current licence in any state, that they are board certified, or that they are credentialed to practise anywhere.
This distinction matters because NPI numbers are easy to publish and licences are the thing that actually authorises treatment. We hold NPI numbers for two of our own reviewers and describe their licensure as unverified for exactly this reason.
What to check, in order
- Prescriber name and state. Search the state medical board's public lookup. Confirm the licence is active, and note any restrictions or disciplinary history.
- Prescriber licence in your state specifically. A clinician licensed in one state generally cannot treat you in another without licensure or a recognised compact.
- Pharmacy name and operating state. Search that board's licensee database.
- Nonresident registration in your state, if the pharmacy is elsewhere.
- Disciplinary records for both, in both states.
What a clean check does and does not mean
It means both parties are inside the regulatory system and currently authorised. It does not speak to the quality of care, the accuracy of a compounded preparation, or the appropriateness of a prescription for you.
It is the floor. It takes about ten minutes, and a provider unwilling to give you the names needed to perform it has told you something worth knowing.
| Requirement | 503A compounding pharmacy | 503B outsourcing facility |
|---|---|---|
| Compounds pursuant to | A prescription for an identified individual patient | May compound without patient-specific prescriptions |
| FDA registration | Not registered as an outsourcing facility | Registers with FDA |
| CGMP requirements | Not required to meet CGMP | Must comply with CGMP — though registration alone is not evidence of compliance |
| Primary oversight | State board of pharmacy | FDA, on a risk-based inspection schedule |
| Adverse-event reporting | Not required under 503A | Required to report adverse events to FDA |
| Product approval status | Not an FDA-approved product | Not an FDA-approved product |
| What registration establishes | Not applicable | FDA received the required information, nothing more Verified |
- FDA registered outsourcing facilitiesConfirms a facility is currently registered under 503B, and links the searchable product report database. Registration is not FDA approval and is not evidence of CGMP compliance.
- FDA outsourcing facility registration Q&AThe agency's own explanation of exactly what registration does and does not mean. Worth reading before accepting any provider's characterisation of its pharmacy.
- NABP directory of state boards of pharmacyRoutes you to the board that licenses a pharmacy, and to its licensee and nonresident registers. Check the licence is current, not merely present.
- FSMB directory of state medical boardsRoutes you to the board that licenses a prescriber, and to its public licence lookup. An NPI number is identity in a national registry, not a licence.
Every one of these is the register held by the body that issues the credential. A claim checked against the page that made it has not been checked.
Show this figure as a table
| Step | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get the facility name | The pharmacy, not the telehealth brand. |
| 2 | Establish the registration class | 503A pharmacy or 503B outsourcing facility. |
| 3 | Check the state board licence | Via the NABP directory. Confirm it is current. |
| 4 | Check FDA registration if 503B | The agency publishes the register. |
| 5 | Check the prescriber separately | State medical board, via FSMB. An NPI is not a licence. |
| 6 | Ask who tests, and for what | Potency, sterility, endotoxin for a sterile injectable. |
| 7 | Search enforcement history | FDA warning letters and state board actions are public. |
| Claim | Proves | Does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| FDA-registered outsourcing facility | A registration was filed | That any product is FDA-approved |
| State pharmacy licence | A board issued a licence | That it is current — check it |
| Accreditation | A voluntary assessment was passed | Batch quality or product approval |
| USP <797> compliance | A sterile compounding standard is claimed | That it was independently audited |
| Third-party tested | Something was tested | What, by whom, or how often, without a certificate |
| NPI number | Identity in a national registry | A current licence in any state |
| FDA-approved compounded medicine | Nothing — the category does not exist | Treat as a red flag |
Providers publishing terms openly are easier to hold to a written answer. NexLife states its pricing and dose-coverage on its own plan pages before intake, which is why its records are the six we marked verified — though it has not named its fulfilling pharmacy to us either. Its published plans.
Questions readers actually ask
Is an NPI number the same as a licence?
No. An NPI is an identifier in a national registry. Licensure is granted by a state board and is a separate record that must be checked separately.
Do I need to check the prescriber and the pharmacy separately?
Yes. They are licensed by different bodies, and either can be lapsed while the other is current.
Related on this site
- Pharmacy verification centrePharmacies
- How to Verify a Compounding PharmacyPharmacies
- 503A Compounding Pharmacy DirectoryPharmacies
- 503B Outsourcing Facility DirectoryPharmacies
- The 100-point rubricCore & Trust
- Cost calculatorTools
- The underlying price recordsData
- How to Verify a Compounding Pharmacy Before You EnrollJournal
- Why Compounded GLP-1 Access Differs by StateJournal
- Tirzepatide State Availability FinderTools
GLP-1 Tirzepatide Review. “State Board Pharmacy License Check Guide.” S.J Partners LLC, 2026-07-24. https://glp1tirzepatidereview.com/pharmacies/state-board-license-check/
When quoting a figure, include the capture date shown beside it rather than the date you read this page. A price without its capture date is not a usable citation.