Quick Tips July 2025 | Page 11

Drug Enforcement Administration( DEA) Registration
2024

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Quick Tips for the Dental Office

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Registration

Drug Enforcement Administration( DEA) Registration

Dentists are required to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration( DEA) in order to be able to engage in any of the following:
• Prescribe controlled substances to be filled at a pharmacy
• Dispense controlled substance to take by patients later
• Administer controlled substances in an office or clinic setting, either orally or through injection DEA registrations are valid for three years.
Note: DEA registration is not required to be able to write prescriptions for non-controlled substances, such as antibiotics.
Practitioners must obtain a separate registration for each place of business or professional practice where controlled substances are manufactured, distributed or dispensed. There is a limited exception for practitioners who register at one location, but practice at others within the same state. Those practitioners are not required to register at any other location in the same state, if they only prescribe controlled substances.
Practitioners are permitted to use their home address as the principal place of business or professional practice, however be aware that the location becomes a“ controlled premises” and is subject to unannounced inspections and administrative warrants under existing DEA regulations.
Dentists who practice in more than one state will need to have a separate DEA registration for each state. You are not authorized to prescribe or dispense a controlled substance outside of the state in which you are registered. For example, a dentist licensed in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey can only use their registration number in the respective state. Dentists are prohibited from using a Pennsylvania registration to prescribe or dispense in New Jersey, and vice versa.
Some states may require that you also obtain a separate state-issued controlled substance number in addition to your license to practice; Pennsylvania does not require a separate registration.
The DEA advises that new registrations could take four to six weeks to process.
To register, visit the DEA website at: https:// www. deadiversion. usdoj. gov / index. html. DEA registration FAQ’ s can be found here: https:// www. deadiversion. usdoj. gov / faq / registration-faq. html.
2024