ANSWERS IN BRIEF / MYTH CHECK
Four claims worth stopping on
Each card begins with a claim that sounds plausible. Open it for the short answer.
SEARCH→CHECK→CARE
MYTH / RESEARCH LABEL
“For research use only” means the same medicine at a lower price.
THE FACT
It does not. A research-labelled chemical is not a patient medicine, and selling it as a treatment is not a legal way to get care.
MYTH / REGISTRATION
“FDA registered” means the FDA approved the product.
THE FACT
Registration is not approval. Federal rules call it misleading to present a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registration or listing as if the agency had vouched for the product.
MYTH / TELEHEALTH
An online visit means no real health check is needed.
THE FACT
An online or video appointment owes the patient the same care an office appointment does. The doctor has to get enough of the person’s health history to judge whether a treatment fits, and needs a way to keep asking questions. A fixed tick-box form with no way to ask anything more does not meet that bar.
MYTH / PLACE NAME
A Berkeley name proves the service is based in Berkeley.
THE FACT
A name is not evidence of an office, licence, or local oversight. California's public records show who is licensed; the web address does not.
Quick recap
Where these facts come fromGOVERNMENT PAGES
These links open the public records used for this chapter.