Before you pay: verification steps for an imported medicine

Creator: Reserve Meds
Published: 2026-04-20

Seven checks to complete before money changes hands.

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

The short answer

Before you pay for a medicine from abroad, check who you are dealing with, that the supplier is licensed, that any permit your country requires is in place or applied for, that the product details match the prescription, that payment goes to the company's own account, and that the quote, timeline estimate, refund terms and consent are in writing.

Identity: the company you deal with is the company you pay.
Licence: the supplier is named and its licence checked.
Permit: your country's permission is in place or applied for.
Written terms: quote, timeline estimate, refunds and consent.

Check 1: who you are dealing with

Confirm the company's full legal name, address and contact details, and make sure they match the name on the quote and the payment details.

Check 2: the supplier's licence

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.^[1]

Check 3: the permit in your country

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.^[2]

Ask for a copy of the permit or approval when it is issued, and do not accept a shipment that is sent before the permit is in place.

Check 4: the product details

Brand and generic name, strength, dosage form and pack size match the prescription.
Batch number and expiry date will be documented before shipping.
Storage conditions and how they will be kept during the journey are stated.

The FDA warns that unsafe sellers may send medicine that looks different from the usual product, arrives in damaged or foreign packaging, or has no expiry date.^[3]

Check 5: where the money goes

Pay only to an account in the company's name, using the payment method stated in your written quote. Be careful with requests to pay a personal account, to change account details at the last minute, or to pay in an unusual way.

Check 6: written terms

Keep a copy of the written quote, the written timeline estimate and the refund and cancellation terms before you pay. At Reserve Meds, these are given to you for your case before you commit.

Check 7: consent and privacy

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.^[4]

Saudi Arabia issued its Personal Data Protection Law in September 2021, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority's national data governance platform lets individuals file a complaint about the handling of their personal data.^[5]

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

Should I pay before the permit is issued?

Ask what the written terms say about money paid before the permit, and what happens if it is refused. Do not accept a shipment sent before the permit is in place.

How do I know the account is genuine?

It should be in the company's own name and match the payment details in your written quote.

What product details should I check?

Name, strength, form and pack size against the prescription, and that batch number and expiry date will be documented.

What if something does not match?

Stop and ask in writing before paying.

Sources for these answers: ^{[3, 2]}

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: Annual Licensure Reporting by Wholesale Drug Distributors and Third-Party Logistics Providers (accessed 18 October 2026)
NHRA Bahrain: Circular No. (41) of 2020, procedures for importing non-registered medicines (accessed 18 October 2026)
US FDA: How to Buy Medicines Safely From an Online Pharmacy (content current as of 2 January 2025) (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)
Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA): National Data Governance Platform, Personal Data Protection Law (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.