Look at the care
Check the doctor and the pharmacy
Use the record held by the board, rather than a badge on a page.
In the US, medicines are reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, known as the FDA.
Use the board records
Find the doctor in the state record
Start with the full name. If the name is unclear, ask for it before trying to compare services.
- A state medical board's records can show if a doctor's licence is current and if public disciplinary action has been recorded.
- A clear public record gives no score for a doctor's skill.
- Some states split doctor licence records between separate boards, so ask which board holds the relevant record.
Open the check
Open the medical board directoryOpen the state pharmacy searchesIdentify the pharmacy separately
If a medicine is proposed, ask who would make it and who would dispense it. Dispense means hand the medicine over to the patient.
- According to the FDA, people who use online services may be unsure who made their medicine mixed to order.
- The FDA offers links to state pharmacy licence searches and advises against using an online pharmacy absent from the state record.
- A pharmacy licence record confirms that a licence is held; it does not establish that every product is suitable or lawfully dispensed.
Read badges for what they mean
A drug-making business may be listed in FDA records. Being on that list is called registration; it does not mean its medicine is approved.
- As of September 2026, registering a drug-making business with the FDA does not mean the agency approved the business or its products.
- As of September 2026, an NDC number, the government's drug code, gives no proof of FDA approval.
- Ask for the record behind a badge or code.