DEA lifts three requirements for hospitals/clinics during pandemic

To facilitate continuous patient care during quickly changing scenarios during the pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration has issued three exceptions to regulations for DEA-registered hospitals and clinics effective from April 10 until the public health emergency ends.

One exception allows DEA-registered hospitals and clinics, under their existing DEA registration, to handle controlled substances at their satellite hospital/clinic locations as long as certain conditions are met. DEA is also providing flexibility to allow distributors to ship controlled substances directly to these satellite hospitals/clinics under certain conditions.

A second exception allows narcotic treatment programs to accept deliveries of narcotics without providing an authorized signature at the time of delivery in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Finally, DEA today issued another temporary exception to allow DEA-registered dispensers, such as hospitals, pharmacies, and physicians, to distribute controlled substances beyond 5% of the total number of dosage units of controlled substances distributed and dispensed during the same calendar year without being required to register as a distributor.