DEA number
Encyclopedia
The Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) is a United States Department of Justice law enforcement agency tasked with enforcing the Controlled Substances Act
of 1970. It shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in narcotics enforcement matters.
A DEA number is a series of numbers assigned to a health care provider (such as a medical practitioner
, dentist
, veterinarian
) allowing them to write prescriptions for controlled substances. Legally the DEA number is solely to be used for tracking controlled substances. The DEA number, however, is often used by the industry as a general "prescriber" number that is a unique identifier for anyone who can prescribe medication.
A valid DEA number consists of:
Registrant type (first letter of DEA Number):
Per US DOJ :
Per US DOJ :
"Due to the large Type A (Practitioner) registrant population, the initial alpha letter "B" has been exhausted. DEA will begin using the new alpha letter "F" as the initial character for all new registration for Type A (Practitioner) registrations."
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
(DEA) is a United States Department of Justice law enforcement agency tasked with enforcing the Controlled Substances Act
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain...
of 1970. It shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in narcotics enforcement matters.
A DEA number is a series of numbers assigned to a health care provider (such as a medical practitioner
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
) allowing them to write prescriptions for controlled substances. Legally the DEA number is solely to be used for tracking controlled substances. The DEA number, however, is often used by the industry as a general "prescriber" number that is a unique identifier for anyone who can prescribe medication.
A valid DEA number consists of:
- 2 letters, 6 numbers, & 1 check digit
- The first letter is a code identifying the type of registrant (see below)
- The second letter is the first letter of the registrant's last name
- Of the seven digits that follow, the seventh digit is a "checksumChecksumA checksum or hash sum is a fixed-size datum computed from an arbitrary block of digital data for the purpose of detecting accidental errors that may have been introduced during its transmission or storage. The integrity of the data can be checked at any later time by recomputing the checksum and...
" that is calculated as:- Add together the first, third and fifth digits call this CALC1,3,5
- Add together the second, fourth and sixth digits and multiply the sum by 2, call this CALC2,4,6
- Add CALC1,3,5 + CALC2,4,6 call this CHECK
- The rightmost digit of CHECK (the digit in the ones place) is used as the check digit in the DEA number
Registrant type (first letter of DEA Number):
- A - Deprecated (may be used by some older entities)
- B - Hospital/Clinic
- C - Practitioner
- D - Teaching Institution
- E - Manufacturer
- F - Distributor
- G - Researcher
- H - Analytical Lab
- J - Importer
- K - Exporter
- L - Reverse Distributor
- M - Mid-Level Practitioner (APN/CNP)
- N - Military Practitioner
- P - Narcotic Treatment Program
- R - Narcotic Treatment Program
- S - Narcotic Treatment Program
- T - Narcotic Treatment Program
- U - Narcotic Treatment Program
- X - Suboxone/Subutex Prescribing Program
Per US DOJ :
Per US DOJ :
"Due to the large Type A (Practitioner) registrant population, the initial alpha letter "B" has been exhausted. DEA will begin using the new alpha letter "F" as the initial character for all new registration for Type A (Practitioner) registrations."