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Regulation of controlled substances

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Regulation of controlled substances

In order to discourage the illegal use of narcotics (opioids), the government regulates their medical use. Special procedures are required for labeling, ordering, prescribing, and keeping records about these medicines. This allows the government to keep track of their use and distribution, and to identify agencies or individuals who may use or provide these medications for illegal purposes.

Because of these many regulations, it may seem difficult to get narcotic pain relievers. Widespread misconceptions about addiction have led some states to:

impose limits on how much medication a doctor may prescribe at one time

impose time limits on how quickly a prescription must be filled

require that health care providers use special prescription forms for narcotics

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