Check the record
Licence
Get the doctor’s or other health professional’s name and the pharmacy’s name before trying to check them.
Use the public board record to look past the design of a website.
- State medical board
- The state office that gives doctors permission to practise and takes action when they break its rules.
Find the doctor’s board record
A doctor’s state medical board record lists the status of their licence along with any action against them that the board has made public.
The detail available differs by state.
Ask which board holds the doctor’s licence.
The absence of public action in that record does not establish the quality of care.
Ask for the full name, profession and state licence details so you search the right record.
- Board of pharmacy
- The state office responsible for licensing pharmacies.
Check the pharmacy separately
Pharmacy licences sit with the state board of pharmacy, not the medical board.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) links each state to a pharmacy licence search.
A listing shows that a licence exists; it cannot establish that every prescription is filled properly.
Ask which pharmacy will fill and send the prescription.
Use the public record to match the name instead of trusting a badge.
- Your visit location
- The state where you will physically be during the appointment.
Match the permission to your location
As of September 26, 2026, U.S. guidance requires your doctor or other health professional to hold a licence or other authorisation covering the state you are physically in for the appointment.
Ask whether that covers the place where you will take the call.
Pause if the name and record do not line up, and have the service explain the difference.