DEA Suboxone Audit Update V

Continued from: DEA Suboxone Audit Update IV

The Government Relations Department of the American Psychiatric Association has issued a helpful document providing more details regarding the OBOT audits. My local DEA office still has not provided me with a copy of the “Notice of Inspection” (DEA form 82?) I was promised. Not surprisingly they also refused my offer of an appointment for my audit. In fact there was no response to my letter at all.

The document states that DEA sent each physician to be audited a letter. I do not recall receiving such a letter, but according to APA this may yet come from the local office, but audits have already started in my area.

According to the document agents will "verify" that the physician treats no more than the 30/100 limit. It would seem that agents cannot verify this without some independent source, such as pharmacy records. They must simply take the physician's word.

The only suggestion APA could offer as to why the audits cannot be scheduled is that this is standard practice. Well, that does sound like the federal government: standard practice prevails even if it involves waste.

DEA Suboxone Audit Update VI