Why does a physician need a DEA?

A physician needs a DEA number to prescribe controlled substances. This is to help monitor the dispensing of controlled substances to the public.

The DEA Form 224 (new applications), lists the schedules of controlled substances that the physician wants to handle. The physician must first be authorized by the state to handle those drugs before the DEA will authorize it. The physician will only be allowed to handle those drugs on their application.

Registration must be renewed every 3 years. With the DEA number, a physician can be tracked easily if they are prescribing too much of a controlled substance. There are some doctors out there who prescribe narcotics and charge insane prices for visits and get rich in areas where drug abuse is prevalent. The DEA numbers are supposed to help control this by only allowing certain doctors (those who have applied for a DEA number and have been authorized) to prescribe them.