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Can Your DEA License be Revoked?

Getting a DEA license is not the end of the road for those dealing with controlled substances. Not only does the license have to be renewed periodically, but it can also be suspended or revoked in the future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is responsible for preventing misuse and abuse of controlled substances. Towards this end, it cracks down heavily on both pharmacies and physicians that are guilty of aiding drug diversion in any form. And the age-old weapon in its arsenal is – revocation of license!

Indeed, when it comes to controlled substance drugs, all those who are involved in prescribing, dispensing, administering or otherwise handling them must mandatorily get themselves registered with the DEA under the Controlled Substances Act. The registrants get a DEA number which allows them to deal with the controlled substances. Needless to say, prescribing, dispensing or administering controlled substances without a DEA license is illegal and can lead to harsh consequences.

All DEA registrants are subject to a slew of regulations regarding the storage, recordkeeping, security, disposal and other aspects of the controlled substances. In case the DEA gets a whiff of wrongdoing or other slipups, it will swoop down on the entity and conduct an investigation.

And the fallout can be pretty severe!

The DEA has the federal authority to suspend or even revoke the license of the registrant. A revocation will prevent the physician or pharmacist from prescribing or dispensing the controlled substances. Therefore, it can even render the offending party out of business!



Reasons for Suspension/Revocation


This can be done for a variety of causes, like:

  • Materially falsifying any application or other filing with the DEA
  • Conviction for certain felonies related to controlled substances
  • Suspension, revocation or denial of state license by a competent State authority related to the registrant’s authority to dispense controlled substances
  • Committing acts that would render the registration inconsistent with public interest
  • Exclusion from participation in federal health care programs

Here, the suspension/revocation may be applicable for a specific period of time or even be permanent. Moreover, it maybe limited to a particular controlled substance(s) for which the grounds for revocation/suspension exist or be applicable across all the scheduled drugs.

When suspending or revoking a license, the Attorney General has to first serve an Order to Show Cause which provides the reason for the same - specific citations of any laws or regulations alleged to be violated. This is also an opportunity for the registrant to show why the suspension/revocation should not be done. He/she has the chance to appear before the Attorney General at a specific time and date (will be within 30 days of issuance of the order). The registrant must also submit a corrective action plan on or before the date of appearance which shall be considered during the hearing to determine whether the said proceedings should be discontinued/deferred or not.

Compliance service providers – like the Titan Group (https://titangroupdea.com/) – can help with all aspects of DEA registration, maintaining veterinary controlled drug log and even dealing with revocation proceedings.
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