Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-110

§832 Suspicious Orders

Title 21 › CHAPTER 13 — DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL › SUBCHAPTER I — CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT › Part C — Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances › § 832

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Each registrant must build and run a system to spot suspicious orders. The system must follow federal and state privacy rules. If a registrant finds a suspicious order or a pattern of orders, they must tell the DEA Administrator and the Special Agent in Charge of the local DEA division where they are located or do business. The Attorney General must create a central database for suspicious-order reports not later than 1 year after October 24, 2018. Sending a report to that database counts as notifying the DEA officials above. The Attorney General must also give suspicious-order information to the person each Governor names for state oversight, share it within a reasonable time, and work with States to get state prescription data allowed by state law to help enforce federal law.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §832

Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Reporting

Each registrant shall—

(1)design and operate a system to identify suspicious orders for the registrant;

(2)ensure that the system designed and operated under paragraph (1) by the registrant complies with applicable Federal and State privacy laws; and

(3)upon discovering a suspicious order or series of orders, notify the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Special Agent in Charge of the Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration for the area in which the registrant is located or conducts business.

(b)Suspicious order database

(1)In general

Not later than 1 year after October 24, 2018, the Attorney General shall establish a centralized database for collecting reports of suspicious orders.

(2)Satisfaction of reporting requirements

If a registrant reports a suspicious order to the centralized database established under paragraph (1), the registrant shall be considered to have complied with the requirement under subsection (a)(3) to notify the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Special Agent in Charge of the Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration for the area in which the registrant is located or conducts business.

(c)Sharing information with the States

(1)In general

The Attorney General shall prepare and make available information regarding suspicious orders in a State, including information in the database established under subsection (b)(1), to the point of contact for purposes of administrative, civil, and criminal oversight relating to the diversion of controlled substances for the State, as designated by the Governor or chief executive officer of the State.

(2)Timing

The Attorney General shall provide information in accordance with paragraph (1) within a reasonable period of time after obtaining the information.

(3)Coordination

In establishing the process for the provision of information under this subsection, the Attorney General shall coordinate with States to ensure that the Attorney General has access to information, as permitted under State law, possessed by the States relating to prescriptions for controlled substances that will assist in enforcing Federal law.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 832

Title 21, Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110