Questions for finding care

What makes a care service checkable?

A calm website can still leave basic blanks. Get names you can check before paying for care.

Check the person who would prescribe.

Get a full name and a licence record
To check a doctor, state medical boards publish licence status along with any public action they have taken against that doctor. Federation of State Medical Boards consumer guide
The Federation of State Medical Boards connects readers with state boards that license doctors through its directory. Open the state medical board directory
Ask which board licenses the person assessing you. Look up their full name in that board’s records; a badge alone leaves the check unfinished.
Check where the visit takes place
HHS, the U.S. health department, says clinicians need a licence or state permission where the patient sits, as of September 2026. HHS explanation of state permission
For a screen visit, tell the service which state you will be in. Ask it to confirm that the named clinician can treat you there.

The maker of a made-to-order medicine
FDA warns that online patients may not know which compounder actually prepared their medicine. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance
Preparing medicine for an individual order is compounding. Before you pay, get the pharmacy’s complete name. Compare it with the label on any medicine delivered.
The pharmacy’s own licence
FDA’s state lookup links to searchable records of pharmacy licences. Open the state pharmacy licence lookup
A licence record alone does not prove the pharmacy is supplying medicines in the right way.
Do the product check as well as the licence check. Ask who can answer a question about the medicine.

Use the same questions for a visit in a clinic or by phone or screen. If names and answers remain missing, pause before paying.