Check the person behind the prescribing decision.

Get the name and the state permission

• What is your full name and job title?
• What licence or state permission lets you treat me here?
• Which state board keeps the record of your licence?

Keep in mind A state medical board keeps the public record of a doctor's licence. It also lists penalties the board has imposed and any formal charges still waiting for a decision. A pending charge is not a final decision.

The rules checked on September 26, 2026 generally require a doctor to be licensed or otherwise authorised in the patient's state during an online visit.

Use the record for the right profession

• Use the state medical-board list linked below to find the doctor's record.
• Confirm that the full name matches, then look for a current licence.
• Read any listed penalty or charge. Ask the board what the entry means and whether it limits the doctor's work.

Keep in mind The medical-board list links to doctor records. For a nurse or another health professional, ask which board keeps their licence record.

Nurse practitioners are nurses trained to assess patients and prescribe medicine. As of September 26, 2026, some states let them work on their own. Others required a written agreement to work with a doctor.

If a nurse practitioner would treat you, ask whether your state requires a doctor agreement. If it does, ask who that doctor is and how they take part in your care.

Keep the check in perspective

• Ask how this person would check your health and needs.
• Ask who would review later questions.

Keep in mind The absence of a public penalty in the record gives no answer about the quality of care.