Match the person and their role
Details for the record search
Find out who conducts the assessment and whether that same person decides about prescriptions. Request the full name used in professional records, the profession and the state record being relied on. Keep that answer next to the service name so you do not confuse a business name with a person.
MDs and DOs are doctors with different kinds of medical degree. In Florida, an MD’s license comes through the Board of Medicine; a DO’s comes through the Board of Osteopathic Medicine. Both belong within the health department; this process information was checked September 28, 2026.
Florida’s medical board statute Florida’s osteopathic board statute
MD means medical doctor and DO means doctor of osteopathic medicine. Those letters can help you choose the right type of record. For another professional role, ask the person to spell out the title rather than guessing from initials on a profile.
The state’s Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) search website shows license status, professional profiles and public actions taken over professional conduct. Its search routes were checked September 28, 2026.
Compare the name and profession before reading further. If more than one person has a similar name, ask the service which record belongs to the person you would see. Keep a note of the record and when you viewed it for your own comparison.
Roles and responsibility
A Florida physician assistant works with a supervising doctor. When prescribing, the PA must make that role clear to the patient. The prescription must name each supervising doctor. These state rules were checked November 3, 2026.
A PA is a physician assistant. Ask who is responsible for the part of care being proposed and how questions move between the people involved. Use the explanation of responsibilities to compare the service, alongside the title on the record.
Nurse practitioners train beyond basic nursing for roles that can include assessment and prescribing. A written protocol, or agreed plan of work, generally governs Florida nurse practitioners. A separate state registration allows autonomous practice, meaning practice without that protocol, but only in primary care. The statute gives family medicine as an example of primary care. These rules were checked November 3, 2026. These laws do not tell you if care for weight or a change in how you look is primary care. Ask the nurse practitioner which rule fits your care. Do they need an agreed plan with a supervising doctor, or can they use their separate primary care registration?
Florida’s advanced nursing statute Florida’s autonomous nursing statute
Ask a nurse practitioner to explain the authority being used for your proposed care. Keep the response in plain language. You do not need to decide how a specific practice fits a category just from an advertisement or a general description on this page.
For remote care, identify the Florida route
Telehealth is care without being in the same room, such as a video visit. For routine care while you are in Florida, the professional needs a Florida license, permission under an applicable licensing agreement among states, or Florida’s out-of-state telehealth registration. These rules were checked November 3, 2026. The law lets an out-of-state professional skip registration when responding to a medical emergency. It also allows consultation with a Florida-licensed professional who keeps final responsibility for diagnosis and care. Ask for the matching public license or registration record. If an exception is claimed, ask which one applies and who keeps responsibility for your care.
If the person relies on an out-of-state record, ask which route allows the visit while you are in Florida. Avoid assuming a home-state license answers that question. The online-care chapter shows how to keep the registration question separate from the consultation itself.
If you expect to be elsewhere during a later visit, tell the service before that visit. Ask what arrangements would apply to your location then. Keep the answer with the follow-up plan instead of relying on the arrangements for an earlier conversation.
Know what a search cannot tell you
A board record shows license details and public discipline. A clean entry does not rate the care or prove its quality. This process information was checked September 17, 2026.
Use the record alongside the plan for care. Then ask how the visit works, why a treatment is proposed and how to stay in touch. Keep a mismatch open until it is clear. An incomplete search cannot give you a fair view of the whole service.