How do I check the name I found?

Which name am I checking?

Get the full name, health profession and licence details of whoever would treat you. Check the person, then check the pharmacy if medicine is proposed.

Where do I look up a doctor?

State medical boards, the state offices that oversee doctors, publish doctors’ licence records and public records of penalties.

Some states have separate boards for medical doctors and osteopathic doctors, another kind of licensed doctor.

Open the relevant board’s own site. Find its licence search and compare the full name and licence details.

As of September 2026, doctors need a licence or other valid permission covering the state their patient is in.

What if the person treating me is not a doctor?

Ask which state office holds their licence and which record to search. A doctor lookup does not check every kind of health professional.

The national lookup described by the medical boards covers medical and osteopathic doctors; it does not check nurses or other health professionals.

If someone other than a doctor will treat you, ask what their licence allows them to do and where to check it.

How do I check the pharmacy?

The board of pharmacy is the separate state body that licenses pharmacies.

Ask for the exact pharmacy name before searching. Match it with the name on the medicine label if you receive a prescription.

Most states also require out-of-state pharmacies to obtain permission before sending medicine into the state, as of September 2026.

Does “FDA registered” mean approved?

As of September 2026, registering a business with FDA does not mean the agency approved that business or its medicine.

A medicine listed in FDA’s online product records is not proof of approval either.

A licence shows permission to practise; it does not prove that every care decision is sound.