Legal Considerations for Prescribers

Clinicians prescribing opioids or other controlled substances to their American Indian or Alaska Native patients should know their legal rights and responsibilities. The following pages provide basic information on:

• Who may prescribe controlled substances
• The concern about law enforcement’s effect on legitimate prescribing
• Electronic prescriptions of controlled substances
• Multiple prescriptions of Schedule II drugs

Additional Resources

• Indian Health Manual Prescribing/Dispensing section
• Drug Enforcement Administration Pharmacist's Manual [PDF - 1.1 MB] Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 
• Dispensing Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain,” Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  DEA notice [PDF – 137KB]
• DEA Drug Scheduling Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 
• DEA Office of Diversion Control Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 
• PDMP Training and Technical Assistance Center Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 
• IHS Risk Management site

References

Indian Health Service. Office of Management Services. Indian Health Manual. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.

"Dispensing Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain; Policy Statement," Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  [PDF - 140KB] Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 172 (September 6, 2006), pp. 52,716–52,723.

Prescription Drug Abuse: What Is Being Done to Address This New Drug Epidemic? Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  – testimony before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources of the House Government Reform Committee 109th Cong. (2006)

DEA, Drug Scheduling. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Office of Diversion Control. Drug Enforcement Administration.