You must perform a DEA search as part of the recruiting process if you are hiring a physician, pharmacist, dentist, or nurse who can administer and prescribe medications. DEA numbers are unique identifiers, and if a doctor practices in multiple states, they can have multiple DEA numbers.

A DEA number is a unique identifier that enables medical practitioners to write controlled drug prescriptions. Two letters, six digits, and one check digit make up DEA numbers. DEA numbers are intelligent numbers, which means that some of the digits are meaningful.

The first letter denotes the category of registrant:

The DEA number lookup of an applicant can be checked or looked up in a variety of ways. The first step is to request the number from the practitioner; whether you are unable to obtain it from them or simply need to look it up quickly, you can do so using one of several online databases, such as www.dealookup.com. If you know the license number and just need to double-check it, you can call the DEA and inquire about it.

You can look up a DEA number by using the practitioner’s name or their National Provider Identifier (NPI), a 10-digit number that is used to classify health care partners, including all payers.

After every three years the DEA registration must be renewed. An applicant’s DEA number may be invalid because his license has expired. The DEA will take up to 12 weeks by mail and six weeks online to renew your registration.