Buying DEA-Controlled Substances

When buying United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-controlled substances, including Schedules II – V and List I Chemical Precursors, there are certain steps that you will need to take to comply with regulations. Controlled substances are regulated by the DEA, and the University must follow DEA procedures for ordering and receiving controlled substances. There are no exceptions to this policy.

All controlled substances must be of pharmaceutical grade, therefore only pharmaceutical-grade drugs or fluids are allowed for use on animals in research and instruction. In compliance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations, non-pharmaceutical grade drugs, such as those purchased through Sigma-Aldrich, are to be used only when there is no pharmaceutical-grade alternative available. If your study requires the use of non-pharmaceutical-grade compounds, the use should be justified in Section I of the Research Information Online (RIO) protocol. Note: Access to this database is required; contact your Environment, Health & Safety Specialist for assistance.

When purchasing DEA-Controlled Substances including Schedules II – V and List I Chemical Precursors:

1. All DEA-Controlled Substances requests must go through the AUTHORIZED Supply Chain Management (SCM) Senior Buyer for review and validation. There are NO exceptions to this policy. (Note: Schedule I controlled substances should be ordered directly by the lab and you should not use the DEA-controlled substance form. Consult with your supplier to ensure you have the proper DEA documentation required for your request.)
2. Determine if the item you are ordering is a DEA Schedule Controlled Substance by reviewing the following list: DEA Diversion: Controlled Substance Alphabetical.
3. Determine if the item you are ordering is a DEA Schedule, DEA List I and/or California regulated Chemical Precursor by reviewing the following lists: DEA Diversion: Controlled Chemicals OR California List of Regulated Chemicals.

1. Log into your UCSF MyAccess account, and click on the BearBuy link to open the application. 
2. On the BearBuy homepage, scroll to the bottom and click on the DEA Controlled Substances Form (in the Forms for Specific Purchases section).
3. On the form, select one of the following suppliers:
   1. MWI Veterinary Supplies
   2. Patterson Veterinary Supplies
   3. Covetrus North America
4. Complete the fields on the form by indicating the name of the controlled substance, quantity, dosage/size and concentration.
5. You must attach a completed Controlled Substance Purchase Approval Form. This form must be signed by the Principal Investigator (PI) and attached to the BearBuy DEA Controlled Substances form in the Internal Attachments section as a PDF file.
6. When finished, select the Add And Go To Cart button located at the top of the form (or select "Add to new Cart" from the dropdown).
7. Assign the cart to your department's Requester to complete the checkout process and submit the order.
8. After the Requester submits the request, it will route for approval from your department's Requisition Approver (regardless of dollar amount). Then, it will automatically route to the primary Authorized Supply Chain Management Buyer for Controlled Substances (regardless of dollar amount). The SCM Buyer will contact you with any questions.
9. Once the order is fully approved and the purchase order (PO) is sent to the supplier, the controlled substance authorized recipient for the lab will receive a copy of the purchase order that confirms the order was placed with the supplier. Once the order is released by the supplier, the controlled substance will be delivered to the Office of Research: Environment, Health & Safety designated receiving/distribution center. They will contact the Controlled Substance Authorized (CSA) Recipient in your department/lab to pick up the order.

For more information, contact: 

• Department: Your lab’s Environment, Health & Safety Specialist
• Campus: Controlled Substance Officer: Jason Mata at (415) 476‐6074
• SCM: Primary Controlled Substance Buyer: Daisy Palma at (415) 502-3045
  • Note: SCM has a number of Authorized Supply Chain Management Buyers for Controlled Substances to back up the Primary Controlled Substance Buyer.
• To learn more about departmental responsibilities, review the Office of Research: Environment, Health and Safety Controlled Substance Program manual, which outlines in detail the regulations and procedures governing the use of controlled substances.
• University of California BUS 50 policies govern the University of California Controlled Substance Program.