What steps are necessary to prescribe a controlled substance in Nevada?

Nevada law differentiates between controlled substances and dangerous drugs regarding what credentials/licenses are needed to prescribe either.  Physicians who hold a license to practice medicine as an MD or DO may prescribe dangerous drugs as defined in NRS Chapter  454, which in part includes all prescription drugs which are not considered scheduled controlled substances, under their medical licenses.  However, should an MD or DO wish to prescribe a controlled substance, they must also hold additional registrations issued by the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy and the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).   
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners licensed in Nevada must also hold prescribing privileges issued by the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy to prescribe any dangerous drug and/or a controlled substance registration.  Other providers including dentists and veterinarians must also hold a state-controlled substance registration in addition to a DEA registration.  

 

All prescribing providers who wish to prescribe controlled substances in Nevada, must apply for a state-controlled substance registration with the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy and must indicate what schedules of controlled substances the provider wishes to be authorized to prescribe (e.g. schedules II through V).  If the state-controlled substance registration is granted, then the provider must submit an application to the DEA for a federal controlled substance registration and must receive the federal registration before the provider is legally authorized to prescribe a controlled substance in Nevada.   The DEA will not issue a federal registration if the provider has not yet received their state controlled substance registration in Nevada. 

 

Prescribing providers must hold a DEA registration specific to the state in which they plan to prescribe.  A DEA registration issued in California for instance, may not be utilized to prescribe in Nevada.  A DEA registration may be transferred to another state.  However, if the provider intends on practicing in more than one state, they should apply for a separate DEA registration in each state.

 
Failure to comply with state and federal controlled substance registration requirements may result in the denial or revocation of those registrations and can also result in the provider’s primary licensing entity initiating disciplinary action against their license to practice their profession.