Resources & Information

Generally, you may send a controlled substances prescription to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice as long as (1) you have an established relationship with the patient that originated in North Carolina, (2) you hold a NC medical license, and (3) you hold a DEA registration specific to North Carolina. However, there may be restrictions, limitations, or special requirements based on the laws where the pharmacy is located. Therefore, you should check with the medical board of that state, the out-of-state pharmacy, and/or your malpractice carrier to ensure your compliance with any applicable laws and identify any potential issues that may impact the patient’s treatment.

Unless an exception exists, the DEA requires all prescribers to hold a state-specific DEA registration in the state where the patient is located at the time of care. You should contact the DEA for more information.

No. While some states have an additional prescribing registration or permit separate from the DEA registration process, North Carolina does not. Unless an exception authorized by law applies, those prescribing controlled substances to patients located in NC must hold a NC medical license and hold a valid DEA registration to prescribe to patients in North Carolina.

No. A DEA registration is not a requirement for licensure or licensure renewal in North Carolina. It is only required if you will be prescribing controlled substances.

No. DEA registration is not required to prescribe non-controlled substances.

Please contact the NC Board of Pharmacy for a Dispensing Permit or any related dispensing inquiries.

No, you cannot prescribe controlled substances without a DEA registration. If you work at a hospital, you should contact it to determine if you meet the conditions to use any available institutional DEA registration number.

Please contact local law enforcement and your local DEA Diversion Field office within 24 hours of discovery. You might also consider monitoring the North Carolina Controlled Substance Reporting System for additional fraud and alert any local or affected pharmacies. If you reasonably believe the fraud was committed by another NCMB licensee, you are required to report the fraud using the online complaint form.

For nurse practitioners, please contact the NC Board of Nursing. Otherwise, you do not need to report the fraud to the NC Medical Board, but you should keep documentation related to your reports. If you suspect identity theft, you should monitor your credit for suspicious activity and report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

Here are some additional resources:
DEA Practitioner’s Manual
CS CME FAQs
STOP Act FAQs
NC CSRS FAQS
SOPI
DEA FAQs 
DEA Guidance Document Portal