The Department has received numerous calls in recent weeks from physicians expressing concerns that some pharmacists are not filling controlled substance prescriptions if the physician is not listed as a controlled substance prescriber on the practitioner profile on the Department of Health’s website. While there may be many reasons a pharmacist may decide in his or her professional judgment not to fill a prescription, the Department wants to ensure that any confusion concerning the physician registration requirements is addressed.

The lack of a designation on the physician profile concerning controlled substances does not necessarily mean that the physician cannot prescribe controlled substances. Section 456.44, Florida Statutes, requires a physician licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 461 or chapter 466 who prescribes controlled substances listed in Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain, to designate himself or herself as a controlled substance prescribing practitioner on the physician’s practitioner profile. This requirement is applicable only to those physicians that are treating patients for chronic nonmalignant pain. Therefore, physicians that are not treating patients for chronic nonmalignant pain are not required to register and may continue prescribing controlled substances for other diagnoses.