Hydrocodone Combination Products Moving to Schedule II

On August 22, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) published a final rule to move hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) from Schedule III to Schedule II. The change takes effect on October 6, 2014.

Under the finale rule, all Schedule II requirements with respect to security, labeling and packaging, inventory, record keeping and reporting, etc., will apply to “all pharmaceuticals containing hydrocodone currently on the market in United States.”

While the DEA does state that a practitioner may issue multiple Schedule II prescriptions to provide up to a 90-day supply of medication, all pharmacists should be on high alert and must continue to use due diligence when checking prescriptions for HCPs to ensure only a thirty day supply is dispensed per prescription. Additionally, pharmacists should continue to watch for any “red flags,” and use their best judgment when determining whether to fill multiple (Schedule II) HCP prescriptions for a specific patients at one time.