Select DEA Issues

From the DEA Physician's Manual (Informational Outline the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, Revised 1990):

"Problems have arisen regarding narcotic prescription orders (primarily in methadone). A physician may prescribe methadone or any other narcotic for analgesic purposes only. A patient who is to be or is being maintained or detoxified cannot receive a narcotic prescription order for this purpose. The individual must receive the necessary narcotics at a registered narcotic treatment program."

"A physician who is not part of a narcotic treatment program may administer narcotic substances to an addicted individual to relieve that individual's acute withdrawal symptoms while the physician makes arrangements to refer the individual to a narcotic treatment program. Not more than one (1) day's medication may be administered at one time. This treatment cannot last more than three (3) days and may not be renewed or extended."

• FDA Methadone Directory  
  List of MDs approved to maintain addicts. Click the link, then "Open file from current location," then "Edit," then "Find," then type in the name of your state.
  
  
• Your state's methadone authority  
  Click on the link, then click on your state.
  
  
• Your state's drug abuse agency  
  Click on the link, then select your state from the list.
  
  
• Drug Addiction Online Resources
  
  

Dispensing narcotics for patients with non-terminal chronic pain

Pharmacy laws are regulated by states, so follow those, naturally.  But here is what the DEA says about using drugs in the case of non-terminal disorders involving chronic pain. From the DEA Physician's Manual (Informational Outline the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, Revised 1990):

"Controlled substances and, in particular, narcotic analgesics, may be used for the treatment of pain experienced by a patient with a terminal illness or chronic disorder.  These drugs have a legitimate clinical use and the physician should not hesitate to prescribe, dispense or administer them when they are indicated for a legitimate medical purpose.  It is the position of the Drug Enforcement Administration that these controlled substances should be prescribed, dispensed or administered when there is a legitimate medical need."

Interns, Residents or Foreign Physicians

From the DEA Physician's Manual (Informational Outline the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, Revised 1990):

"Any physician who is an intern, resident, foreign physician or physician on the staff of a Veterans Administration facility (exempted from registration), may dispense, administer and prescribe controlled substances under the registration of the hospital or other institution in which the physician is employed provided that:

1. The dispensing, administering or prescribing is in the usual course of professional practice;
   
2. The physician is authorized or permitted to do so by the state where practicing;
   
3. The hospital or institution has verified that the physician is permitted to dispense, administer or prescribe drugs within the state;
   
4. The physician acts only within the scope of employment in the hospital or institution;
   
5. The hospital or other institution authorizes the physician to dispense or prescribe under its registration and assigns a specific internal code number for each physician so authorized. An example of a specific internal code number is as follows:
   Hospital DEA Registration  *AB1234567-012 Physician's Hospital Code Number 
   
6. A current list of internal codes and the corresponding individual physicians is kept by the hospital or other institution and is made available at all times to other registrants and law enforcement agencies upon request for purpose of verifying the authority of the prescribing physician."