Drug Diversion Toolkit for Community Pharmacists

While pharmacists routinely use their professional judgment when determining whether to fill prescriptions for controlled substances, added scrutiny is required to prevent diversion to the illicit drug market. Pharmacists are responsible for dispensing prescription drugs appropriately while intercepting prescriptions that are not issued by authorized prescribers for lawful medicinal purposes.

As the primary gatekeepers between prescriptions and access to controlled substances, pharmacists are strategically positioned to ensure that all requirements are met in order to comply with State and Federal regulations.

*This toolkit provides pharmacy staff with information that assists with compliance, appropriate validation, and documentation of a prescription for a controlled substance as well as the corresponding recordkeeping requirements related to distribution from the time the prescription is dropped off to the time it is picked up.