yes, you have to have a prescription. Some dr.s are even hesitant to prescribe it. Check out this website, stopthemadness.com for more on thyroid and the lies Dr.s and Pharm. Rep.'s are telling us about the synthetics. It also can teach you how to convince your Dr. who may be hesitant in prescribing it. Pharm rep.s bad mouth the natural form, of course, they want us, or insurance, the viscous cycle, to spend hundred's of dollar'd on the synthteic, when I go to Target and pay $5 and some c hange for a one month's supply. By the way, my insurance does not cover it, go figure. Be sure to check out that website, move over to the natural stuff, and also, if your Doctor say's your number's are normal, be sure to see if they are the same one's as the new number's they say are normal on this website I am talking about. Some "old school" Dr.'s are going by t3 t4 number's that some endo.'s are now saying are outdated. Get educated and armed before your next visit, I didn't even know I had a problem until my dr. told me, and she put me on Armour. What a saint.