via Florida Board of Medicine 6-10-2013 — In accordance with s. 456.44, F.S., a physician licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 461, or chapter 466 who prescribes any controlled substance listed in Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV, as defined in s. 893.03, F.S., for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain must designate himself or herself as a controlled substance prescribing practitioner on the physician’s practitioner profile. If the physician does not prescribe controlled substances for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain, the “Controlled Substance Prescriber” field will indicate “NO,” but as long as the physician holds a DEA prescribing license, he or she is still authorized to prescribe controlled substances.
Chronic nonmalignant pain, as defined in s. 456.44(1)(e), F.S., is “pain unrelated to cancer which persists beyond the usual course of disease or the injury that is the cause of the pain or more than 90 days after surgery.” If you do not treat patients for what falls under the statutory definition of chronic nonmalignant pain, there is no need to register as a Controlled Substance Prescriber in the State of Florida, and your ability to prescribe controlled substances will not be hindered as long as you hold a DEA prescribing license.
If you do treat patients for what falls under the statutory definition of chronic nonmalignant pain and you have not yet registered yourself as a Controlled Substance Prescriber in the State of Florida, please do so immediately. This can be done by logging into MQA Online Services using the same User ID and Password that you use to renew your license, and selecting the “Controlled Substance Prescriber” option from the menu on the left-hand side of the page. Follow the on-screen prompts from there to complete the process. There is no fee for registration. The online system can assist you if you do not remember your User ID and/or password, or you may call 850-488-0595 and a representative will assist you.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Board of Medicine by phone at (850) 245-4131, or by e-mail at [email protected].
