Controlled substances can now be ordered electronically.

Until the period of June 20, 2005, all distributions of Schedules I and II controlled substances required the completion of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Form 222. As of May 31, 2005, DEA came out with an electronic alternative to the paper form. DEA says that the system will go live soon, although it has not released a specific date. In this article, the author focuses on this electronic alternative. More than five years in development, the Controlled Substance Ordering System can be used by pharmacists and other DEA registrants in place of the paper DEA 222 forms. DEA hopes the system will cut down on errors, reduce turnaround time for orders, and allow pharmacists to maintain smaller inventories of these substances.