Checklist for patients and families choosing an access service

Creator: Reserve Meds
Published: 2026-04-20

Tick each line before you commit. If a line stays empty, ask again in writing.

Reviewed by the Reserve Meds clinical operations team on 18 October 2026. Sources accessed 18 October 2026.

The short answer

Before choosing a service to help you get a medicine from abroad, check that your treating doctor has prescribed it, that the supplier is named and licensed, that the chain of custody and temperature are documented, that you have a written quote and a written timeline estimate, that refund terms are written, and that you understand who will see your information.

Medical: prescription and medical decisions stay with your doctor.
Supply: named licensed supplier and documented custody.
Written: quote, timeline estimate and refund terms.
Personal: consent and privacy explained before you share documents.

Medical checks

My treating doctor has prescribed this medicine, at this dose, for this use.
I know whether the medicine is FDA-approved for this use or investigational.
My doctor or hospital knows how and where the medicine will be given and followed up.

The FDA's advice to consumers is that a legitimate seller of prescription medicines always requires a doctor's prescription, and that a seller who does not ask for one is a warning sign.^[1]

Supply checks

I know the name of the licensed company that supplies the medicine.
I know which country it ships from and how it is kept at the right temperature.
Someone will check the temperature record when it arrives.

US wholesale drug distributors and third-party logistics providers must be appropriately licensed and must report their licensure to the FDA every year to count as authorized trading partners under that law. The FDA publishes the reports in a searchable database that is updated every business day. A listing is not an FDA licence or approval in itself: the licence is issued by the state, and the database helps you see that a company has reported one.^[2]

WHO's good storage and distribution practices note that medical products face risks at every stage, from purchasing and storage to repackaging, relabelling, transport and distribution, and that many different people and organizations handle them along the way.^[3]

Paperwork checks

I know who applies for the permit in my country, and what documents are needed.
I have a written quote that lists each part separately.
I have a written timeline estimate and know which steps depend on the regulator or hospital.
I have the cancellation and refund terms in writing.

Rules for unregistered medicines are set by each destination country. In Bahrain, for example, NHRA Circular 41 of 2020 requires a hospital to obtain the authority's permission before it issues a purchase order for a non-registered medicine, and to transport and store the product in containers that follow the manufacturer's recommended conditions.^[4]

Personal information checks

I know who will see my medical documents and why.
I was asked for my consent before my documents were shared.
I know how to ask for my information to be corrected.

In the UAE, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data prohibits processing personal data without the owner's consent, apart from limited cases, gives people the right to ask for corrections and to restrict or stop processing, and sets requirements for sending personal data across borders. It came into force on 2 January 2022.^[5]

If something does not add up

Stop and ask in writing. Share the answers with your treating doctor. If a medicine you received causes a side effect, tell your doctor straight away.

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified, and notes that such products are often sold online or in informal markets and include life-saving treatments such as cancer therapies.^[6]

How Reserve Meds helps

Reserve Meds is a digital health company. Medicines are supplied through a US-licensed pharmaceutical wholesale partner. We coordinate the route with your treating doctor and hospital, prepare the paperwork the regulator or hospital asks for, and arrange supply once approval is in place. Your doctor prescribes and makes every medical decision. You can ask us for our wholesale partner's licence details, and you get your quote and timeline estimate in writing before you commit.

We coordinate access to FDA-approved medicines only. Investigational medicines are only available through a manufacturer's expanded-access program requested by the treating physician; we can explain that route, but we do not supply them. Your coordination fee is quoted in writing for your case before you commit. No hidden charges. We give you a written timeline estimate for your case before you commit.

Ask us about a medicine

Tell us the medicine, your country and a WhatsApp or phone number. We reply within one business day. On WhatsApp we usually reply the same day.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to check?

That your treating doctor has prescribed the medicine. Everything else follows from the prescription.

Do I need the supplier's name?

Yes. You cannot check a licence you are never told about.

What should be in writing?

The quote, the timeline estimate, the refund terms and the privacy notice.

Can Reserve Meds help with this checklist?

Yes. Send us your questions and we answer them in writing before you commit.

Sources for these answers: ^{[1, 5]}

Sources

All sources were opened and checked on 18 October 2026. Rules and labels change, so the treating hospital or regulator confirms the current position before anything is filed.

US FDA: How to Buy Medicines Safely From an Online Pharmacy (content current as of 2 January 2025) (accessed 18 October 2026)
US FDA: Annual Licensure Reporting by Wholesale Drug Distributors and Third-Party Logistics Providers (accessed 18 October 2026)
World Health Organization: TRS 1025, Annex 7, Good storage and distribution practices for medical products (17 June 2020) (accessed 18 October 2026)
NHRA Bahrain: Circular No. (41) of 2020, procedures for importing non-registered medicines (accessed 18 October 2026)
UAE Government portal (u.ae): Data protection laws, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (accessed 18 October 2026)
World Health Organization: Substandard and falsified medical products (fact sheet) (accessed 18 October 2026)

This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. It does not replace advice from your own doctor or the regulator.