Medical professional check
Match the medical professional to the public record
Ask for the person’s full name, professional role and state. For a doctor, the medical board record answers a narrow question: is the licence current and has the board posted an action?
Start with the right state licensing board
Every state has a medical board for doctors. Its public record can show whether a physician holds a licence and whether the board has posted discipline or pending charges.
Doctors may have MD, meaning Doctor of Medicine, or DO, meaning Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, after their names. Some states keep separate lists, so use the one that matches those letters.
- Match the full name.
- Match the role and degree; for a doctor, look for MD or DO.
- Look for wording that says the licence is current and in good standing. If the board uses another status word, check its key or call the board.
- Open any public action instead of guessing from the heading.
Check the state where you will sit
As of September 2026, federal guidance says the medical professional must be licensed or otherwise legally allowed to practice in the state where the patient sits during the visit. The state’s own law controls; for a doctor, look for a current state-board licence.
Ask the service for the medical professional’s full name and role before the medical decision. Then check the state licensing-board record for that role yourself.
Next in the pathway
Now check the other half of the chain
The medical professional and the pharmacy answer to different boards.