Why Your Wholesaler Must Be Licensed in Your State — and How to Check
Empire Rx Distributors · 5 min read
Two licenses, both required
A wholesale drug distributor needs a license from its home state's board of pharmacy (or equivalent agency) and, in nearly every case, a separate out-of-state wholesaler license or registration from each state it ships prescription drugs into. Shipping Rx product into a state without that authorization is a violation for the wholesaler — and receiving it can be a problem for the pharmacy, since boards expect pharmacies to buy only from licensed sources.
Why it exists
State licensure is the layer of the supply chain that checks who the wholesaler is: owners, designated representatives, facility, insurance, bonding in some states, and inspection history. It is also how boards enforce the federal Drug Supply Chain Security Act locally. A wholesaler that is licensed in your state has been reviewed by your own board.
How to look up a license
Every state board of pharmacy publishes a license verification search. Search by the wholesaler's legal name (for Empire Rx, that is ERXD LLC) rather than its trade name, and look for a license type such as 'nonresident wholesale distributor,' 'out-of-state wholesaler' or 'manufacturer/wholesaler.' Check the status is active and note the expiration date. NABP's accreditation database is a useful second check.
What a lapse looks like from your side
Licenses expire on a schedule and renewals do slip. A careful wholesaler tracks every expiration and stops shipping to a state the day a license lapses rather than the day someone notices. From the pharmacy side, a wholesaler that will ship anywhere, to anyone, without asking what state you are in, is telling you how carefully it tracks this.
Questions to ask before the first order
Which states are you licensed in, and can I see the license numbers? Do you verify my pharmacy license and DEA registration before shipping? Do you ship controlled substances (and if so, under what registration)? Will the shipment include DSCSA transaction data? A legitimate wholesaler answers all four in one email.
Where Empire Rx is licensed
ERXD LLC holds a wholesale drug distributor license or registration in every state and territory we ship to, verifies every customer's pharmacy license and DEA registration before the first order, does not distribute controlled substances, and will not ship prescription product to a state where our license is pending. Our 'Where we ship' page lists every state, and each state page names the issuing board, so you can verify us with your own board before you apply.
NABP-accredited wholesale for independent pharmacies.
Real dating on every listing · free shipping · Net terms · licensed in 37 states & territories.
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