ASHP Urges DEA to Update Registration Process for Pharmacists

This week, ASHP joined the American Pharmacists Association, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and several other partner pharmacy organizations to urge the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to update its registration process to reflect state laws that grant pharmacists prescriptive authority for controlled substances.

Recent state legislative and regulatory updates have expanded pharmacists’ scope of practice, enabling them to prescribe controlled substances and obtain controlled substance licenses from their state boards of pharmacy. The letter highlights five states — Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, North Dakota, and Oregon — where pharmacists have clear authority to prescribe controlled substances but are not listed on DEA’s “Mid-Level Practitioners Authorization by State” table. Because of this omission, pharmacists in these states face barriers to applying for DEA registration and prescribing controlled substances, including medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

ASHP has long advocated for utilizing pharmacists to increase patient access to MOUD, releasing model legislation and a model protocol that states can use to empower pharmacists on care teams to initiate MOUD, including providing clear authority to register with DEA. ASHP has also provided recommendations to the federal government on how pharmacists can help address the nationwide opioid epidemic.

“States are working to meet the needs of patients struggling with opioid use disorder and recognize the benefit of using pharmacists to increase access to MOUD,” said Tom Kraus, ASHP vice president of government relations. “It’s time for DEA to remove its bureaucratic barriers to patient care.”

ASHP will continue to advocate for expansion of patient access to MOUD on behalf of our members and the patients they serve.