Pharmacy Controlled Substances and DEA Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A prescriber's DEA registration number is BC3234649. To verify it is valid using the check-digit method, what should the sum of the digits equal (mod 10)?
- The last digit of the number (9) (Correct answer)
- Any even number
- Any number divisible by 3
- The sum must end in the last two digits
Correct answer: The last digit of the number (9)
DEA check digit: add digits 1+3+5, then add 2×(digits 2+4+6). Sum both. The last digit of the total should match the 7th digit of the DEA number. For BC3234649: (3+3+6)=12; 2×(2+4+4)=20; 12+20=32 → last digit 2? This example is illustrative — the principle is that the check digit confirms authenticity.
Question 2: A partial fill of a Schedule II prescription is permitted under which circumstance?
- Any time, if the patient requests only a partial supply
- If the pharmacist cannot supply the full quantity; the remainder must be filled within 72 hours (Correct answer)
- Schedule II prescriptions can NEVER be partially filled
- Only for patients enrolled in a hospice or long-term care facility, who have 60 days
Correct answer: If the pharmacist cannot supply the full quantity; the remainder must be filled within 72 hours
Schedule II partial fills are allowed when the full quantity is unavailable; the balance must be dispensed within 72 hours. LTCF/terminally ill patients may have 60 days under special rules.
Question 3: Under the Ryan Haight Act, prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine typically requires:
- No special requirements beyond a valid DEA registration
- At least one in-person evaluation before prescribing via telemedicine (Correct answer)
- DEA Form 222 for each telehealth prescription
- State licensing in the prescriber's home state only
Correct answer: At least one in-person evaluation before prescribing via telemedicine
The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act (2008) generally requires at least one in-person medical evaluation before a practitioner may prescribe controlled substances via the internet.
Question 4: A pharmacy technician discovers 10 oxycodone tablets missing during a routine count. The pharmacist should first:
- Dismiss it as a counting error and recount at the next scheduled inventory
- Document the discrepancy, investigate, and notify the DEA if theft is confirmed (Form 106) (Correct answer)
- Immediately call local police before doing anything else
- Dispose of remaining stock to prevent further loss
Correct answer: Document the discrepancy, investigate, and notify the DEA if theft is confirmed (Form 106)
Pharmacies must investigate controlled substance discrepancies. If theft or significant loss is confirmed, DEA Form 106 must be submitted; some states also require notification to state boards.
Question 5: Which statement about Schedule III–V prescriptions is CORRECT under federal law?
- They may never be phoned in
- They may be refilled up to 5 times within 6 months (III/IV); Schedule V may be refilled as authorized (Correct answer)
- Schedule III requires DEA Form 222 to order
- All schedules III–V require a written prescription; no electronic prescriptions are allowed
Correct answer: They may be refilled up to 5 times within 6 months (III/IV); Schedule V may be refilled as authorized
Schedules III and IV may be refilled ≤5 times within 6 months of the issue date. Schedule V refills are governed by state law but may be more permissive. Schedules III–V can be phoned in.
Question 6: The DEA requires a biennial (every 2 years) inventory of all controlled substances on which date?
- January 1st of every other year
- The anniversary date of the pharmacy's DEA registration
- Any date within 2 years of the previous inventory, on or close to the biennial anniversary (Correct answer)
- Within 30 days of hiring a new pharmacist-in-charge
Correct answer: Any date within 2 years of the previous inventory, on or close to the biennial anniversary
The DEA requires a biennial inventory taken within 2 years of the previous inventory. Many pharmacies choose a fixed date near their DEA registration anniversary for convenience.
Pharmacy Controlled Substances and DEA Regulations 2
A prescriber's DEA registration number is BC3234649.
To verify it is valid using the check-digit method, what should the sum of the digits equal (mod 10)?