Physicians and pharmacists should join hands with the authorities and do their best to identify, prevent and control misuse of controlled substances. They should also abide by the governing regulations. The controlled substances are controlled for good reason – they have a potentially high risk of leading to addiction, overdose complications and even death. This is why the federal and state authorities have instituted a string of laws for the scheduled drugs. To start with, DEA controlled substance licenses are mandatory for issuing these drugs. This subjects the licensed medical professionals to varied rules and regulations to ensure the utmost safe and secure use at all times. Additionally, the DEA, CDC and other agencies publish guidelines on a regular basis, institute prescription drug monitoring programs and launch other initiatives to prevent and identify prescription drug misuse as far as possible. The onus is also on the clinicians and pharmacists to prevent and control ...