Audit of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Registration Process for Medical Practitioners

Develop and implement standardized quality assurance measures to better ensure that registrant applications processed and approved by DEA Specialists meet eligibility requirements.

Ensure that the DEA perform a comprehensive risk assessment of its automated renewal process to determine if it is adequately ensuring that renewals are only granted to worthy applicants based on accurate submissions. This risk assessment should include consideration of the implementation of a routine quality assurance process for renewal applications.

Ensure that the DEA take steps to close the gap between its previously established Specialist staff ceiling and current Specialist staffing level and develop a strategy to optimize its registration application process, which may include increasing assigned resources and other enhancements.

Ensure that the DEA perform a thorough review of the six OIG-identified registrants with arrests and medical probationary periods to determine whether their applications were properly completed and adjudicated and subsequently take any necessary and required actions.

Ensure that the DEA assess its Scheduled Investigation Program to determine the number of additional Diversion Investigators it needs to best ensure a practical percentage of its annual workplan includes medical practitioners and take steps to ensure it resources this Program to achieve its annual workplan goals.