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Mere Lock and Key Will Not Suffice for Controlled Substances

 All entities that are registered to handle controlled substances have to abide by a set of strict security requirements to ensure that they are not mishandled or misused in any manner whatsoever. The Controlled Substances Act requires that all DEA registered healthcare providers and other organizations – be it DEA veterinary or others – should institute effective controls and procedures to safeguard against theft and diversion of controlled substances. The standards for the mandated physical security controls and operating procedures are clearly laid out in the Code of Federal Regulations. There are slight variations in the requirements for practitioners and non-practitioners with certain distinctions in what is expected in case of manufacturing and compounding areas, narcotic treatment programs, freight forwarding facilities, etc. The security prerequisites are more stringent for Schedule I and II drugs. For instance, these must be stored in a safe or steel cabinet that is equivalen

Registration and Renewal with the DEA

The DEA has a specific procedure for applying for registration and obtaining a DEA license and number. This also has to be renewed at regular intervals. We delve into the details of the requisite procedures. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is charged with the responsibility of regulating all aspects of handling the controlled substances. Accordingly, any physician, dentist, veterinarian, scientific investigator, pharmacy, hospital or other person who will distribute, dispense, administer, conduct research, or use in teaching or chemical analysis any controlled substance has to first register with the DEA. In other words, any person or entity that handles controlled substances must be registered with the DEA.   Following are the steps for obtaining a regular or veterinary DEA license : Download the requisite DEA Form 224 or 225 from https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugreg/index.html From May 11th, 2022, the DEA requires all applications for registration and renewal to be s

Steps to Control Drug Diversion

Drug diversion is a serious offence and DEA licensees cannot simply close their eyes to the possibility of this happening at their practice or facility. It is better to take proactive steps to nip the problem in the bud! The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a branch of the U.S. Federal government that is tasked with preventing all kinds of drug related criminal activity including trafficking and diversion. For this, it enforces a range of controlled substance regulations , including veterinary DEA regulations , to regulate and license medical healthcare prescription drug distribution. They are quick to red flag and investigate even the slightest suspicions by putting a practitioner/practice under surveillance and instigating criminal proceedings if needed.   To avoid the heavy repercussions of a DEA investigation and criminal action, the registrants should take strict measures to prevent any kind of drug diversion or abuse in the first place. Such as: Do not print the full DEA

How to Dispose Controlled Substances Safely and Legally?

The controlled substances not only have to be stored, handled and dispensed carefully, but the stipulations extend to their disposal as well. The DEA has established collection sites and events for the same. What does a pharmacy, hospital or medical practitioner do with controlled substances that are unused, out-of-date, damaged or otherwise unusable or unwanted for some reason? Disposing the Schedule I to V drugs is not as easy as flushing them down the toilet. In fact, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) does not permit the registered entities to even pour such medications down the drain or dispose them in a landfill by mixing with coffee grounds or kitty litter. By law, DEA veterinary and regular registrants can only dispose of controlled substances by destruction, return, recall, sale or through the manufacturing process. The destruction has to be in a non-retrievable manner – permanently and irretrievably alter the physical or chemical condition of the drug so that it beco

Why Veterinarians Should Have Personal DEA Numbers?

It is better for every medical practitioner who uses controlled substances, including veterinarians, to have his or her own DEA registration as using a common one has the potential to run afoul with the DEA. Drugs that have a potential for addiction or abuse are classified as controlled substances. The Controlled Substances Act regulates the Schedule I to V drugs which includes medical formulations that are used for pets as well. Therefore, veterinarians also need a veterinary DEA license to be able to prescribe, administer or dispense the scheduled drugs. This entails additional responsibility to abide by the regulations related to storing, tracking and recording all controlled substances used by the practice as specified by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.   In fact, veterinary practices often use one DEA registration number to order controlled substances for all veterinarians in the practice. According to state and federal regulations, all the veterinarians in a practice are p