Who will actually care for me?

Check the record, not just the badge

A doctor’s licence record is published by the state medical board, along with public actions for breaches of its rules.

Records may also show formal charges still waiting for a decision; what is public differs by state.

No public action on the record is not a promise of good care.

For doctors’ records, use the state-board links provided by the Federation of State Medical Boards.

Use the board’s own search. Match the name and licence details to what the care service gave you. Ask the board what its record includes; do not assume it lists every complaint.

For a prescriber who is not a doctor, find out which state board checks the licence.

The doctor directory covers doctors rather than every kind of health professional.

Your location is part of the check

As of September 26, 2026, the prescriber needs a licence or the state’s permission to treat you where you are during the visit.

A doctor who holds a licence elsewhere can register for remote care in some states, without obtaining a full local licence.

If no full state licence is given, ask for the name of that permission and its record number. Check it with the state board. Ask which state rules apply where you are when the visit takes place, including while travelling.

Check the pharmacy separately

The state board of pharmacy keeps the pharmacy’s licence record.

Food and Drug Administration is written as FDA for short; the agency reviews medicines in the U.S.

FDA’s pharmacy lookup page leads to state licence searches; FDA advises avoiding an online pharmacy missing from that state’s record.

A listing confirms a licence, rather than proving every product or practice is appropriate.

At the September 26, 2026 check, registering a drug or business with FDA did not mean FDA approval.

Ask for help from the board if the names, licence status, or permission to send medicine to your state are unclear.