Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances

On November 19, 2007, in the Federal Register, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) finalized its September 2006 proposal to amend its regulations to allow practitioners to provide individual patients with multiple prescriptions, to be filled sequentially, for the same schedule II controlled substance. The issuing of multiple prescriptions, to be written during one physician visit but not filled until a subsequent date, allows patients who need Schedule II medications for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition, such as chronic pain, to receive, over time, up to a 90-day supply of their medication while still maintaining controls to prevent abuse and diversion. This Final Rule benefits both patients and physicians by reducing costly and often logistically difficult visits to physician offices simply to renew a prescription.

The ASA had submitted comments in support of the proposed rule and we are pleased to see that the DEA agreed with those comments and included them in the Final Rule, which becomes effective on December 19, 2007. For more information, please click here.