PractitionerLicenseType

Reference data entity for types of professional healthcare licenses. Defines the categories of licenses that authorize practitioners to practice in specific healthcare roles.

Overview

PractitionerLicenseType catalogs the different types of professional licenses that healthcare workers may hold. Licenses are government-issued credentials that legally authorize individuals to practice in specific healthcare roles. This reference data is used by PractitionerLicense to specify what type of license a practitioner holds.

Key Concepts

License Categories

Licenses are grouped by professional domain:

Category	Description	Example Licenses
`physician`	Medical doctors	MD, DO, MBBS, GMC
`nursing`	Nursing professionals	RN, LPN, NP, CNM
`pharmacy`	Pharmacy professionals	PharmD, RPh
`therapy`	Therapeutic professionals	PT, OT, SLP
`technical`	Technical specialists	RT, MLT

Standard License Types

Physician Licenses

MD - Medical Doctor (allopathic)
DO - Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
GMC - General Medical Council Registration (UK)
MBBS - Bachelor of Medicine (Commonwealth)

Nursing Licenses

RN - Registered Nurse
LPN / LVN - Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse
NP - Nurse Practitioner
CNM - Certified Nurse Midwife

Pharmacy Licenses

PHARM - Pharmacist (RPh, PharmD)

Therapy Licenses

PT - Physical Therapist
OT - Occupational Therapist
SLP - Speech-Language Pathologist

License vs Qualification

Understanding the distinction:

Concept	Entity	Purpose
License	PractitionerLicenseType	Legal authorization to practice
Qualification	PractitionerQualificationType	Educational credentials and certifications

A license is required to practice; qualifications demonstrate competency.

License Identification

Each license type record contains:

code - Unique license code (e.g., "MD", "RN")
label - Human-readable name
category - Professional domain
description - Scope of practice

Use Cases

License Verification

When verifying a practitioner's authorization:

Identify required license type for role
Check practitioner holds appropriate license
Verify license is active and valid
Confirm jurisdiction coverage

Credentialing

During provider credentialing:

Determine required license types for position
Collect license documentation from practitioner
Verify against licensing board records
Track license expiration dates

Scope of Practice

When authorizing clinical activities:

Map license types to permitted activities
Verify practitioner has appropriate license
Enforce scope of practice limits
Document authorization basis

Provider Enrollment

For insurance credentialing:

Verify license type meets payer requirements
Confirm license status with issuing authority
Document license for network participation
Monitor for license status changes

Related Entities

Entity	Relationship	Description
PractitionerLicense	Referenced by	Actual licenses that use this type
HealthReferencePractitionerRole	Related	Professional roles requiring specific licenses

Enums

Value	Description
`physician`	Medical doctor licenses (MD, DO, MBBS, GMC)
`nursing`	Nursing professional licenses (RN, LPN, NP, CNM)
`pharmacy`	Pharmacist and pharmacy technician licenses
`therapy`	Physical, occupational, speech, and other therapy licenses
`technical`	Medical technician and technologist licenses
`other`	Other professional healthcare licenses

Properties

Property	Type	Mode	Description	Required
code	string	stored	Unique code identifying the license type Example: `"MD"`	Required
label	string	stored	Human-readable name of the license type Example: `"Medical Doctor"`	Required
category	string	stored	Category of license Values: `physician, nursing, pharmacy, therapy, technical, other` Example: `"physician"`	Required
description	string	stored	Additional details about the license type	Optional

Examples

Example 1

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "MD",
  "label": "Medical Doctor",
  "category": "physician",
  "description": "License to practice medicine"
}

Example 2

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "DO",
  "label": "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine",
  "category": "physician",
  "description": "License for osteopathic physicians"
}

Example 3

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "RN",
  "label": "Registered Nurse",
  "category": "nursing",
  "description": "License for registered nursing practice"
}

Example 4

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "NP",
  "label": "Nurse Practitioner",
  "category": "nursing",
  "description": "Advanced practice nursing license"
}

Example 5

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "PHARM",
  "label": "Pharmacist",
  "category": "pharmacy",
  "description": "License to practice pharmacy"
}

Example 6

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "PT",
  "label": "Physical Therapist",
  "category": "therapy",
  "description": "License for physical therapy practice"
}

Example 7

{
  "@type": "PractitionerLicenseType",
  "code": "GMC",
  "label": "General Medical Council Registration",
  "category": "physician",
  "description": "UK medical practitioner registration"
}