Use the board record.
The Federation of State Medical Boards says state boards show whether a doctor has a current licence. They also show public records of action taken against a doctor for breaking rules, or formal charges still being considered.
- Get the doctor’s full name and licence number.
- Open your state board through the federation’s board links.
- Check that the doctor you were told about has the name and licence shown in the record.
- If the person has another professional title, ask which board holds their licence.
Even if the record shows no action against the doctor, it cannot tell you how good their care is. What the record shows varies by state.
Find your state’s medical boardUnder U.S. rules checked September 26, 2026, giving out a prescription medicine requires a valid prescription.
A page offering to skip the prescription is a reason to leave it.