UI - 000246

AU - Tennant FS Jr.

TI - The California registration system for habitues to schedule II drugs

AB - AB - In order to help control abuse and prevent over-prescribing, California has developed triplicate

prescriptions for Schedule II narcotics as well as a system for physicians to publicly register patients who are

habitues to Schedule II Controlled Substances. A preliminary evaluation indicates that there is under-

reporting and confusion among physicians about the system, but it has probably helped control Schedule II

narcotic abuse in California while not depriving patients of needed treatment. Physicians appear to prescribe

Schedule II narcotics for serious medical conditions but may underprescribe narcotics for some chronic pain

patients and subject others to potential complications of high, chronic doses or oral narcotics which are

combined with salicylate, acetaminophen, or phenacetin. Despite some defects, California's system of

triplicate prescriptions and public registration of habitues appears a viable alternative to the removal of

abusable, Schedule II drugs from the commercial market UI - 81172994

SO - NIDA Res Monogr 1981;34:193-198