Any health care professional, including doctors, optometrists, dentists, veterinarians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, is given a DEA number by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. This number enables these physicians to write controlled drug prescriptions, as well as allowing the DEA to keep track of who is prescribing what.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration requires any physician who administers, prescribes, or dispenses any controlled substance to be licensed under DEA registration number.
As a resident of your program, you are protected by your training hospital’s or institution’s registration. When you’ve finished your preparation, you’ll need to get your own DEA registration. If you want to work outside of your curriculum while still a citizen, you’ll need your own registration.
The Creation of the DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was founded in 1973 as part of President Richard Nixon’s War on Drugs initiative. Prior to the DEA, drug-related offenses were investigated and prosecuted by a variety of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The DEA was established in an attempt to streamline their operations and provide a single point of contact for investigation and prosecution.
The DEA’s primary mission today is to uphold the US’s controlled drug laws and regulations. The DEA championed many initiatives, including Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” initiative and the Red Ribbon Week campaign.
DEA number lookup by NPI The DEA number of an applicant can be checked or looked up in a variety of ways. The first step is to request the number from the practitioner; whether you are unable to obtain it from them or simply need to look it up quickly, you can do so using one of several online databases, such as www.dealookup.com. If you know the license number and just need to double-check it, you can call the DEA and inquire about it.