Controlled substances are the drugs with the highest potential for abuse and substance use disorders and therefore have the most stringent regulatory and prescribing requirements at the federal and state levels. To prescribe medications, a doctor must have a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) license. To fill a prescription, a pharmacist must also hold a controlled substance licence. Schedule I drugs (e.g., heroin) cannot be prescribed or bottled by a pharmacist because they do not have a medical use indicated in the United States. Schedule II drugs are the highest level of potential drugs of abuse that can be prescribed by a clinician; Traditionally, these drugs could only be filled with a paper prescription; however, they are now available by prescription via electronic prescription of controlled substances (EPCS). Schedule III-V drugs can be prescribed by a physician using traditional paper prescriptions, a verbal prescription over the phone, or the EPCS system. [1] [2] The EPCS was introduced in 2010 by the DEA, which stipulated that clinicians could submit prescriptions for controlled substances electronically; He also said pharmacies could dispense these e-prescriptions. The use of EPCS from a clinician`s and pharmacy`s perspective is voluntary, and each party can choose whether or not to use the system (however, some states such as New York make the use of e-prescribing mandatory with some exceptions). Practitioners can still write and sign prescriptions for Schedule II-V drugs if they wish; Verbal orders are only permitted for Schedule III-V drugs. The introduction of e-prescribing has significantly reduced the number of medication errors from a prescribing point of view (readability, dosage, frequency, etc.). [3] [2] It is essential to defend yourself against a criminal charge that you broke the law and illegally issued a prescription in California, as sanctions can change the course of your life. That`s why it`s so important to hire a drug advocate like William Kroger of Los Angeles.

He can help defend you against criminal charges of illegal prescription writing or can consult with you to make sure you stay on the right side of the law when practicing medicine in the state. Partial filling of List III-V drugs may be completed within six months of the initial prescription. [1] Perhaps the most important and stringent requirement for prescribing in California is Health and Safety Code 11153, which requires that all prescriptions be issued for a “legitimate medical purpose.” In our response, we discuss federal and state laws, ethical considerations, and licensing requirements. Federal law does not prohibit physicians in the United States from self-prescribing drugs. However, state laws for doctors vary widely, and some may prohibit doctors from prescribing, dispensing, or administering certain medications to themselves or their family members. Depending on their jurisdiction, physicians may also face disciplinary action for writing prescriptions outside of their medical practice, which may include self-prescriptions. For example: medical professionals who issue prescriptions in violation of California law may face a variety of consequences if convicted of illegally prescribing controlled substances. In addition to requiring that there be a legitimate medical purpose for a prescription, California Health and Safety Code 11153 also requires that the prescription be made in the ordinary course of a physician`s business.

This requirement is intended to prevent prescriptions from being dispensed spontaneously, in informal settings or without first seeing a patient. In order for a pharmacist to dispense a controlled substance, the prescription must contain certain information to be considered valid: there are legal limits on the number of refills and the number of refills dispensed that a prescription can have. For a class III-V drug, the maximum renewal is 5 and the quantity limit is 90 per allocation. Schedule II drugs do not have refills, and the maximum amount is 30 days. [4] Only licensed health care professionals can issue a prescription under California law. However, there are small exceptions for board-enrolled graduates who are taking approved programs, even if they are not yet licensed in California. Under California Business and Professional Code 2065, these graduates can issue prescriptions, but they can only be completed at a pharmacy at the hospital where the graduate is employed. A 2017 study found a significant reduction in prescribing errors for patients discharged from emergency rooms when medications were prescribed electronically rather than by hand.

Specific results were that e-prescribing showed a decrease in the incidence of missed doses, inaccurate frequency of medications, inaccurate dose, and general ability to read the document (e.g., clinician`s handwriting was illegible). [7] If you are a physician or can write prescriptions for controlled substances in the state of California, you can quickly and unknowingly violate state laws. The help and guidance of a drug advocate, like William Kroger in Los Angeles, can help you understand the minefield of prescription writing in the state. If you`ve ever been accused of breaking the law, they can also help you defend yourself against the allegations. Prescription of controlled substances is limited to testosterone and codeine-containing substances in Schedules III to V The consequences of a conviction for this crime – consequences that are not always required by state law and are enforced by other parties, including businesses and individuals – are also serious. Perhaps the most serious is the waiver of your right to prescribe controlled substances in the future. This significantly affects your ability to return to the medical profession if you have previously been convicted of illegally dispensing a prescription. If there is confusion for the pharmacist about the reason for a prescription or if there are other questions for the provider, the pharmacist should contact the provider directly. A 2017 study showed that of the prescriptions requiring clarification, 74% were new prescriptions and only 36% of clarifying prescriptions were prescribed electronically. The most common reasons the pharmacist contacted the prescribing physician were pre-approvals and lack of prescription information.

The study found that the most effective way to correct these misconceptions was through telephone contact. [5] It is important to remember that individual states can pass laws that change the way they regulate prescribing requirements for different drugs.