Compliance Operations
Controlled Substance Schedules
The five federal schedules (I-V) that classify controlled substances by abuse potential and accepted medical use under the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC 812).
In depth
Schedule I substances have no accepted medical use and the highest abuse potential; Schedules II through V step down in restriction. Schedule placement drives pharmacy duties - ordering controls for Schedule II, recordkeeping and inventory cadence, storage and security, and prescription limits. Accurate schedule handling ties directly to DEA registration, PDMP reporting, and board inspections.