Create a special DEA registration
Recommendation
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) should create a special registration to allow for one DEA registration in coordination with a valid medical license in each state the practitioner is practicing medicine, rather than a separate medical license and DEA registration in every state.[1]
Background/summary
Healthcare practitioners are required to have a medical license for each state where they provide care. MH/SUD providers who prescribe medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are also required to have a DEA registration for every state they have a medical license.[2][3] This current policy has resulted in challenges for prescribers who face administrative burdens that may impact their willingness to seek DEA registrations, such as multiple fees and duplicative documentation requirements.[1][4] To alleviate administrative burdens and address workforce shortages related to MH/SUD providers, the DEA should have one registration that covers every state in which a prescriber has a medical license.[1]
citations
1. American Psychiatric Association. APA Letter to DEA-Telemedicine Prescribing. Last Updated March 31, 2023.
2. American Medical Association. Navigating state medical licensure. Last Updated February 2, 2023.
3. U.S. Department Of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. Registration Q&A. Last Accessed July 14, 2023.
4. U.S. Department Of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration. Registration and Reregistration Fees for Controlled Substance and List I Chemical Registrants. Last Updated July 14, 2020.