Element MD sells research-use-only material. We confirm — to a defensible standard — that the buyer has a research purpose. Below is exactly how, what we keep, and what gates each tier unlocks at checkout. Most accounts clear in under five minutes; institutional credentials in under twenty.
Default at signup. You attest, under acknowledgement of false-statement risk, that the material is for non-human in-vitro / pre-clinical research and not for personal use. We log the attestation, IP, and timestamp.
For verified patients, contract scientists, and licensed clinicians using the material in their own practice. Upload an active license or credential — we verify against the issuing body within one business day.
For accredited universities, biotech labs, and contract research organizations. We confirm institutional-affiliation against the registry, IRB number when applicable, and a counter-signed RUO terms exhibit. Tax-exempt where state allows.
At signup we collect: legal name, email, phone, shipping address, and the self-attestation. Tier 2 adds a credential photo (licence, NPI confirmation, or institutional ID). Tier 3 adds an institutional email match and a counter-signed RUO terms exhibit.
We never ask for a Social Security number, a passport scan, a birthdate, or a photo of your face. If a Element MD account flow ever requests any of those, do not provide them — that flow is not legitimate.
Federal and state regulators evaluate research-supplier compliance against a "know-your-customer" standard. Self-attestation alone is acceptable for low-volume orders; volume and advisory-state shipments require a credentialed identity. We chose three tiers, not five, because more bureaucracy doesn't make material safer — verifiable identity does.
Tier 1 is automated. Tier 2 is reviewed by a credential-verification specialist within one business day; we cross-check the licence number against the issuing board's public registry and confirm the credential is in active standing on the date of the order. Tier 3 reviews go to our compliance lead and clear within three business days.
If anything ambiguous turns up, we email — never ask for an SSN, never ask for a credit-card photo. If a credential is suspended or under review, we hold the account at the previous tier and explain why in writing.
We deny accounts that fail identity match, that fail the state-eligibility check, or that present credentials we cannot verify. Denials include the specific reason. You may appeal in writing to support@element-md.com; the appeal goes to a different reviewer than the original decision.
We retain credential records for the life of the account plus seven years, to satisfy federal recordkeeping requirements that apply to research suppliers. Photos of licences are stored encrypted at rest, accessible only to the compliance team, and never shared with marketing or third-party advertising.
We share credential records when ordered by a court or by a regulator with jurisdiction. We do not share them with payment processors, advertisers, or affiliates under any circumstance. If we receive a subpoena that targets a specific account, we notify the account holder unless legally barred from doing so.