Washington checks
Care starts with a person you can check.
Compare how care is provided, then look up the clinician and the pharmacy separately.
Choose a care route, then check the people.
For care, an office visit or a licensed remote service are places to start. Ask who will see you and how to reach them later.
For a remote visit from Seattle, Washington rules apply as of September 30, 2026.
For a phone or video visit, the patient’s location decides which state’s care rules apply.
For a first visit, ask whether the clinician has a Washington licence or other state permission to treat you.
As of September 30, 2026, Washington generally required that permission even if the clinician was in another state.
Limited exceptions cover advice to your Washington clinician and a specialist’s opinion that does not include treatment. An existing patient may also receive some follow-up while temporarily travelling in Washington, after treatment in the clinician’s home state.
Evidence for this chapter
- State law: remote visits
Washington’s remote-care rules apply when the patient is in Washington.
Search the name on the state record.
The state has a free tool called Provider Credential Search. It covers people who give care and pharmacies.
- Ask for the clinician’s full name and credential number.
- Search by that name or number, rather than by the service’s advertising name.
- Read the licence status and any public action taken by the board.
- Check the pharmacy separately using its full business name.
No board action on file does not mean the state vouches for the care.
Open the state licence searchA pharmacy mailing prescription medicine into Washington generally needs a Washington nonresident licence, as of September 30, 2026.
Here, a nonresident pharmacy is one located outside Washington.
The state may exempt a pharmacy that only makes occasional sales into Washington. A licence in another state alone is not enough. Ask the state to confirm whether the pharmacy has the required licence or an exception.
Evidence for this chapter
- State help with the licence search
The tool accepts a person’s name or a business name.
- State law: pharmacies based elsewhere
The state may allow a licence exception for a pharmacy that only makes occasional sales into Washington. The exception is not automatic.
Read the letters beside the name.
MD means medical doctor; PA means physician assistant.
The Washington Medical Commission licenses both.
DO identifies another type of medical doctor. In Washington, these doctors have a separate state licence board.
Nurse practitioners are nurses with a licence to assess and manage health problems.
A Washington nurse practitioner may practise without a doctor supervising, but needs separate approval to prescribe, as of September 30, 2026.
A PA needs a written agreement naming a doctor who works with them, as of September 30, 2026.
A title is a starting point for the check. Ask about the person’s experience with your concern and their plan for follow-up.
Evidence for this chapter
- State: who licenses MDs and PAs
The Medical Commission is the board for these roles.
- State: the DO board
These doctors have a separate board.
- State: what nurse practitioners may do
The right to prescribe needs a separate state approval.
- State: the PA’s written agreement
The written agreement names a doctor who takes part.