Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on March 31, 2010, which provides practitioners with the option of writing prescriptions for controlled substances electronically. Since publishing the interim final rule, DEA has received questions and requests for clarification on various issues concerning the implementation and technical requirements for the electronic prescribing of controlled substances. DEA is therefore reopening the March 31, 2010, interim final rule to solicit comments from the public on specific issues outlined below regarding the electronic prescribing of controlled substances in anticipation of subsequently publishing a final rule on these topics.