LegitScript vs NABP for telehealth and pharmacies

LegitScript vs NABP comes down to what you run. A GLP-1 telehealth brand that prescribes needs LegitScript: Meta accepts only LegitScript, and Google’s US telemedicine rule names only LegitScript. NABP accreditation fits pharmacies. Google and TikTok accept it for US online pharmacy ads, and Meta doesn’t name it at all.

Policy checked on October 29, 2026.

LegitScript vs NABP at a glance

LegitScript is a private certification company. NABP is the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Both review healthcare websites and both take telehealth applicants.

NABP puts HMA at “approximately $2,000 per year for a single website listing” with the domain. DPA fees sit behind NABP’s login. Our LegitScript cost breakdown covers the multi-domain math.

Which ad platforms and processors accept LegitScript or NABP

Meta names only LegitScript, for online pharmacies and telehealth providers alike: “Meta requires online pharmacies and telehealth providers to be actively certified with LegitScript.” Google US accepts LegitScript, NABP’s Digital Pharmacy Accreditation or a .Pharmacy site under HMA for online pharmacies, but only LegitScript for telemedicine. TikTok’s US pharmacy rule accepts either. The dated wording for each platform, including Microsoft, Outbrain, Taboola and AppLovin, is in which ad platforms require LegitScript. On card processing, each certifier claims Visa and Mastercard recognition on its own page, and Stripe says “Telemedicine businesses do not need certification from Legitscript.”

Where certifier claims and platform rules disagree

Ranking guides, and the certifiers themselves, make four claims that the platforms’ own pages don’t back up.

1. NABP says HMA “meets advertising requirements set by online advertising platforms, including Google, Bing, Yahoo!, Reddit, TikTok, Snapchat, and X.” On Google that holds for US online pharmacies. Google’s telemedicine line names LegitScript only, so a telehealth brand with HMA alone has no stated path to Google telemedicine ads.
2. Meta is missing from NABP’s list, and Meta’s policy names no one besides LegitScript.
3. Some guides chart TikTok as LegitScript-only. TikTok’s US pharmacy rule names NABP and LegitScript side by side.
4. Some guides say NABP has no ongoing monitoring. NABP’s HMA page calls it “an ongoing accreditation” that “incorporates continued monitoring.”

LegitScript’s classifications guide gives “Legitimate” to sites that hold “accreditation or certification from other entities that LegitScript recognizes, such as the NABP.” Legitimate is not Certified, so it doesn’t clear Meta. See our LegitScript lookup guide.

Which one a GLP-1 telehealth brand needs

A GLP-1 telehealth brand that prescribes and uses a partner pharmacy to dispense needs LegitScript for Meta and Google telemedicine ads. The partner pharmacy can hold either credential. LegitScript’s January 2026 guide says partner pharmacies “are generally required to be LegitScript-certified or accredited by another recognized body.” NABP checks partners too: it confirms “that all affiliated fulfillment pharmacies are also in compliance with our program standards.”

LegitScript’s separate pharmacy and telemedicine programs are compared in LegitScript pharmacy vs telehealth certification.

LegitScript alternatives and what each one covers

No alternative replaces LegitScript for a telehealth brand that wants Meta prescription ads, because Meta’s policy names no other body.

• NABP Healthcare Merchant Accreditation is the closest. It’s open to telemedicine companies, which NABP vets “for compliance with state laws regarding permitted telemedicine modalities and licensure requirements.” It works for Google US pharmacy ads through .Pharmacy, and NABP says it meets card-network requirements. It is not named in Meta’s policy or in Google’s telemedicine rule.
• NABP Digital Pharmacy Accreditation is for licensed pharmacies only. Applicants need HMA and an active .pharmacy domain first, must be “operational in all activities for at least 30 days,” and get an announced on-site survey. The term is 3 years.
• URAC runs a Telehealth Accreditation Program, a quality accreditation. None of the Meta, Google or TikTok US rules name URAC.
• A processor’s own review is a separate step. Stripe, for one, says telemedicine needs no LegitScript certification, but “certain licensing and regulatory items must be provided to Stripe for verification.”

What this means for your campaigns

Meta and Google each add their own approval after the certifier, so order the steps.

1. Check your partner pharmacy’s status in LegitScript’s lookup and in NABP’s Safe Site Search, and save dated screenshots.
2. Certify every domain that will carry Rx ads. LegitScript bills per domain, and NABP bills per enrolled website.
3. Request Meta authorization once LegitScript certification is active.
4. Apply for Google’s healthcare certification for telemedicine or pharmacy, whichever matches what the ad promotes.
5. Put renewal dates in the media calendar: LegitScript’s term is 1 year and HMA renews every year.

FAQ

What does NABP stand for?

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. It runs HMA, DPA and the .pharmacy domain.

Is NABP the same as NPI?

No. NABP is the pharmacy boards’ association that accredits websites. An NPI is a provider identification number.

Does a .pharmacy domain replace LegitScript?

For Google US online pharmacy ads, a .Pharmacy site under NABP’s HMA is on Google’s accepted list. For Meta, or for Google telemedicine ads, it doesn’t replace LegitScript.