DEA Suffixes

Implementation Date: 10/2021

Date of Last Revision: 3/6/2023

Next Review Due: 5/2023

 

Reviewed by VTH Administrative Team: 10/2021

Reviewed by VTH Board: N/A

 

Reviewed by Legal Counsel: N/A

Reviewed by Biosecurity Subcommittee: N/A

Subject to modification by the VTH Director without approval.

Policy

To describe the assigning of DEA suffixes to VTH clinicians, this policy covers all VTH clinicians that have a need to prescribe/order controlled substances for treating VTH 
patients. If a VTH clinician does not have a personal DEA number registered to the VTH address, they may be assigned a suffix of the Hospital Director’s DEA number. This suffix will be 4 digits that are indicated in the HIS (Health Information System) to allow a generation of a report indicating the suffix assigned to each person.

Guidelines

• DEA suffixes are only to be used for ordering controlled substances for VTH patients. They are not to be used for non-VTH purposes.
• DEA suffixes will be assigned by a pharmacist when indicated on an onboarding form that one is needed and for all new house officers.
• Once a personal DEA number or suffix has been entered in the HIS (Health Information System), the clinician will be given access to pin controlled substance orders.
• When an exit form is generated for a clinician, a pharmacist will remove the DEA suffix assigned in the HIS (Health Information System), if applicable.

Procedure (if applicable)

1. If a new clinician will need a DEA suffix, the onboarding form should indicate this. The pharmacist will then assign a suffix and add it to the doctor profile in the HIS (Health Information System). This will occur automatically for all new house officers.
2. When an exit form is generated, a pharmacist will check if a suffix was assigned, and if so, delete it from the HIS (Health Information System)and/or the doctor profile will be deactivated in the HIS (Health Information System). 

Definitions (if applicable)

Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH): The collective clinical services of the Large Animal Clinic, Midwest Equine, the Small Animal Clinic, and the Veterinary Medicine South Clinic.