words / before care

Berkeley · a care guide

whose authority applies in California

What backs a claim?

Want to check a doctor's license or a medicine's approval? Use the links below, then ask the doctor or pharmacy to explain anything unclear.

license record

Note A

Who has permission to practice?

California's license search shows whether a license is current or expired. It also shows board penalties, such as a license being paused or taken away.

The license tells you whether the person has state permission to practice. It does not tell you how good their care is.

Start with the person's full name, then match the type of license.

Check the person's California license

approval record

Note B

Has the product had FDA review?

The Food and Drug Administration is the U.S. drug agency, known as the FDA.

The FDA's drug search lists approved medicines and the health problems they are approved to treat.

A pharmacy listed with the FDA is not proof that its medicine has approval under the federal rule as of September 2026.

Ask the doctor or pharmacist for the exact medicine name. Ask them to show you its FDA approval and approved use, if it has them.

rule or guidance

Note C

How much authority does the source have?

As of September 2026, California law allows online exams when the care meets the level your health problem calls for.

It also requires your spoken or written agreement to remote care before the visit, under the September 2026 rule.

Care guidance also comes from a group made up of state boards, the Federation of State Medical Boards.

Its recommendations are guidance for boards, rather than a law on their own.

Ask the clinician: Is this required by California law, or is it advice from a medical group?

date

Note D

How do I get an answer for today?

The rules and price examples here describe September 2026, so they may not answer what applies to your care today.

Before a visit, use California's license search to check the doctor's current license. Ask the pharmacy for today's full medicine price in writing.

If the doctor offers care online, ask them to explain the current California rules for your visit. The links below show where those rules come from.

next conversation

What if I still cannot tell?

Bring the wording to the visit. Try: What does this claim mean for my case, and where can I check it?

Write the answer in your own words, then ask about any part that is still unclear.

Take the question sheet

chapter endnotes

Notes for this chapter