This care card's answer
Go to the board's own record.
Doctors receive their licences from a state medical board. The board's records are public, so you can look up a doctor's licence status and any actions taken against the doctor. The details vary by state.
The pharmacy has a separate record with a state board of pharmacy.
Find the doctor, then read the record.
To find the state bodies responsible for doctor licences, the Federation of State Medical Boards has a directory of links.
Choose the state for your visit. Search the clinician's full name and compare the licence details with the details the service gave you.
Some states keep separate licence records for doctors with MD and DO medical degrees.
Look for MD or DO after the doctor's name. Ask the doctor which board holds the licence record if the search does not find it.
Look up the pharmacy too.
To reach state searches for pharmacy licences, use the links provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Check the pharmacy name on the proposed prescription or label. If you cannot find a matching record, ask the state board to help resolve it.
Take this to the conversation
What are the full names and licence details for the person assessing me and the pharmacy sending the medicine?
Ask for the answer in plain words. Keep it with your visit notes.
Notes behind this answer
- Find a state medical board
Use the board's own search for the licence record.
- Open the state search for a pharmacy licence
The FDA page links to the pharmacy records.
- Medical boards: reading public records
Explains what boards publish and their role in oversight.