myflorida - License Search Help

Welcome to the search engine for Health related licenses. If some of the information on these pages is not clear, or you feel relevant information is missing, please feel free to contact us by e-mail at the bottom of this screen.

The Department of Health's Health Licensee Information is Year 2000 compliant. The database for this system contains four-digit years.

The Department of Health (DOH), Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) identifies its licensee by a combination of the license prefix (rank code) and a number. This combination is unique to the license issued. Other identifiers are placed on the license to identify further the nature of the license and scope of practice.

Profession descriptions come from the statutes governing the license and are often vague when presented in union with all of the other license descriptions regulated by this department. For a complete listing of the rank codes and the occupation they represent, please review our listing of license prefixes.

Over the years, the length of the licensee name, business name and DBA (doing business as) name fields were restricted to 50 characters. This causes some names to end abruptly or to be severely abbreviated. Please consider this when searching for a licensee. The search on license number is always your most effective search. A licensed professional should always make his or her license number readily available to you and many professionals are required to have this information on their correspondence, business cards and advertisements.

The information you will see on this screen is current as of the date shown on the detail screen for the license, NOT the date at the bottom of the search screen. Information is extracted from our data base and then downloaded to the search screen the evening of the next business day. So information that was entered into our system on Monday will display on the Internet on Wednesday. Tuesday's information will display on Thursday, and so on.

General Browser and Resolution Information

While the search process will function properly with either Netscape or Internet Explorer, versions 3.X or higher, the system is best viewed with Internet Explorer, version 4.X. IE version 4.0 will change the color of the row as the cursor moves through the list.

Viewing the system with a 640 X 480 pixel resolution is acceptable. However, the system is best viewed with an 800 X 600 pixel resolution.

Creating a Favorite or Bookmark

To create a "favorite" or "bookmark" for subsequent visits, click on the link below to bypass using the Department of Health main page and navigation bar.

http:// WWW.DOH.STATE.FL.US/IRM00PRAES/PRASLIST.ASP

At this point the search screen, minus the navigation bar, should appear in the entire screen.

Session Timeout

To free up resources for others to access the data, the system has a timeout feature of 15 minutes. If the user does not refresh or request a page within the timeout period, the session ends.

When the session ends, the screen will remain visible and accept entries into the search boxes. However, whenever a page request is made (i.e., a search request or a link to another page), the screen will automatically load again and display as if this were your initial entry into the system.

We suggest that after any lengthy period of inactivity, a user should refresh the screen before entering any search criteria.

Wildcards and Searches

This search engine will allow a user to enter any combination of the fields available to perform a search. As an added feature, this search engine allows the use of a wildcard in order to find the correct name. Wildcard searches are possible for the licensee name (first and last) and business name fields. The wildcard symbol is the percent sign (i.e., %). For example, if you knew an individual's last name began with "Peter" but could not remember whether it was "Peter," "Peters," "Peterson," or "Petersen," you could enter a last name of "Peter%" for your search. The resulting list will include all individuals whose last name begins with "Peter." Putting in "Anderson" in the last name field and "Mi%" in the first name field will bring up all individuals with a last name of Anderson whose first name begins with Mi – Mike, Michael, Mickey, etc. This is especially useful in cases where the spelling or exact name is uncertain.

Searching by name is a very precise process, searching for a character by character match, and you may not get the records you are searching for on your first try. Names for the search must be entered exactly as they were entered at the time of licensing. For example, "XYZ Pharmacy" may be in the database as "X Y Z Pharmacy" or "X.Y.Z. Pharmacy". Spaces, no spaces and periods will make a difference in your search for the licensee. A search by name, which returns the message "No licensee found matching the search criteria," does not necessarily mean the individual or establishment is not licensed, but rather mean that the spelling is not exactly the same.

Users are able to tab forward and backward through the search criteria fields. Higher version browsers should be able to press "enter" to begin the search (at a typed selection field), in addition to clicking on the search button. The user also has an option of how many rows of licensee information are displayed for a page. With the search made and the result displayed, users have the option of linking with the license number to a detail page of licensee information. If the result list contain more than a single page of information, links are provided to navigate from page to page in either direction.

When using the drop-down boxes for occupation and county, a user can type the first character of an entry. Users can then scroll through all entries with that first character by entering the first character without needing to scroll through the options. For example, when trying to select "Dade" for a search, the user can type a "D" when at that drop-down box. Typing a "D" again will display "DeSoto." This feature allows users to scroll through options without using the mouse. The "Profession" drop-down box works similarly.

If you are uncertain of the correct information for specific fields, leave them blank. If you put in information, such as the county, and it does not match the information we have on file, the search engine will not produce a match. You can enter just the name information, just a license number (with no leading zeros), the license number and the profession, the name and the occupation, etc. But it is strongly recommended you do not enter information for the fields of which you are not certain.

Search Methods

Licensee Name

Licensee name search is an alpha search of the official LICENSEE name. See information on the use of the wildcard above. You will receive a list of all records that have a matching name and you will click on the license number of the record you wish to review. That will take you to the detail screen for that licensee.

License Number

The license number by itself is always the most efficient search as it will return only one record. The license number is just the prefix (rank code) and the number itself with no leading zeros, for example OS4301 or ME12345, etc. If there is a match on the license number, you will go to a detail screen that will give you information on that specific licensee.

Disciplinary Status Indicator:

From time to time, a board or the Department of Health may take action against a license that limits, suspends, or cancels a licensee’s authority to practice. These actions are indicated in this field with a "Y." These actions include Conditions imposed on the license, Revocation, Suspension, Probation, and Fines Unpaid. A blank in this field indicates that either any disciplinary action on the license has not yet been placed on the file or that no disciplinary action exists. This screen does provide historical disciplinary information, so you may see a "Y" indicator at the same time the license shows Clear and Active. This may indicate historical action has taken place. To determine if disciplinary action or board action has taken place on the license and not yet added to the record, you will need to contact the Department. If you wish to obtain information on Medical Malpractice payments, that information is not maintained in this office as a part of our files. Civil medical malpractice payment information may be obtained from the county in which the physician is working. An "N" in this field indicates there is no disciplinary history information.

Military Status Indicator:

When a licensee, or the licensee's spouse, is in the military, the licensee has the option of placing his/her license on military status. Military status allows the licensee to maintain their license without having to complete all of the usual requirements for licensure. However, the licensee may not work for pay outside of the military settings. An "N" indicates the license is not in military status, a "Y" indicates the licensee is in military status.

Continuing Education Indicator:

For the Board of Nursing and the Board of Clinical Laboratory only, this indicator will advise if the licensee has been pulled for a continuing education audit. If the licensee is currently under a CE audit, there will be a "Y" indicator in this field.

Glossary

License Number:

This refers to the numeric portion of the combination that uniquely identifies a license. This number is just a sequential number given to the license record based upon its occupation code.

Rank Code:

This is the alpha part of the unique combination that identifies the license. It can be 2 or 3 alpha characters.

Profession:

The profession separates the licenses into categories or professions.

Qualifications/Class/Type:

This is an additional identifier on the license that indicates restrictions or enhancements to the license practice. This additional identifier is not always applicable to a profession. If no additional identifier is needed for the license, this field is left blank.

Licensee Name:

Name of the individual, company, or ownership to which the license is issued.

License Status:

Indicates whether the license is clear and free from restrictions, null and void, deleted or has some form of disciplinary action on it. Occasionally this field is blank. When this occurs, additional processing is taking place on the license and the licensee should be in contact with the appropriate office to facilitate this processing. A licensee seeking active practice cannot use his/her license number until the "Active" license status has been placed on the record in the Activity Status. If you need additional information on a specific licensee, please call the Division’s Call Center at (850) 488-0595 for assistance.

From time to time, a board or the Department of Health may take action against a license that limits, suspends, or cancels a licensee’s authority to practice. These actions are recorded in this field. They include Conditions imposed on the license, Revocation, Suspension, Probation, and Fines Unpaid. A blank in the Disciplinary Indicator field indicates that either any disciplinary action on the license has not yet been placed on the file or that no disciplinary action exists. This screen does provide historical disciplinary information, so you may see a "Y" indicator at the same time the license shows Clear and Active. This may indicate historical action has taken place. To determine if disciplinary action or board action has taken place on the license and not yet added to the record, you will need to contact the Department. If you wish to obtain information on Medical Malpractice payments, that information is not maintained in this office as a part of our files. Civil medical malpractice payment information may be obtained from the county in which the physician is working.

Activity Status:

This indicates the current status of the license - Active, Inactive, Delinquent. Only person's holding an Active license are legal to practice. A license will show delinquent when it has not been renewed. A license can only remain delinquent for a specific period of time. Then, if the license has still not been renewed, it will become null and void.

Disciplinary Status/Board Action:

You are also invited to use the Profiling system for physicians, or you can contact our office of Client Services for other professions.

Expiration Date:

Date the license is to expire. If the license is in a processing status or "Renewal Notice Prepared," the expiration date has been removed to prepare for renewal. The licensee can continue to work during the renewal period, but must renew to keep the license active after the renewal period has ended. The Chiropractic Certificates (occupation CD) are current and active as long as the corresponding Chiropractic Physician (occupation CH) is current and active.

Original Issued Date:

This is the date the license was originally issued. This information is not available on all records electronically because the license may have been issued prior to the Department’s or that occupation’s, recording the information electronically.

Dispensing Practitioner:

This field indicates that the licensee is allowed to dispense medication (does not pertain to a doctor giving you samples in the office). This field is blank for all professions not allowed the dispensing privilege. It is also blank for medical professionals who have selected not to dispense medication from their office.

Address of Record:

This is the address the licensee has provided as their public address. The search page pulls the practice location first, if that is not provided, the mailing address is displayed. Certain addresses will be blocked due to the licensee being exempt from the public information requirements of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Additional address information may be obtained from the Division’s Call Center at (850) 488-0595, or from the individual board offices.

Military Status Indicator:

Continuing Education Indicator:

Please use our contact list to address your
comments/questions to the appropriate staff.

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DOH / September 21, 2000 / Version 1.0
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