A Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) license and DEA requisition number are required for purchasing controlled substances.
The FDA, in the Controlled Substances Act, has established strict ordering procedures that must be followed before a supplier is permitted to fill an order. DEA Form 222 must accompany orders for DEA Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. This form is numbered sequentially and issued only to holders of DEA registration numbers. Schedule III and IV controlled substances can be purchased by citing the DEA requisition number from Form 223. The three-part form must be completed as the directions on the back of the form specify. The licensee must keep Part 3 of the form and have it available for inspection by enforcement officers for a period of two years from the date the order was placed. Space is provided on Part 3 for receiving information. The other parts of the form must be sent along with the requisition to the Purchasing department.
The license holder is responsible for maintaining adequate records regarding ordering, receiving, storage, and distribution of these substances.
Controlled substances must be kept in secured locations accessible only to authorized personnel. A DEA representative will explain these procedures to the license applicant during the preliminary inspection prior to issuing an DEA Controlled Substance License.
