Tramadol now classified as controlled substance in Oklahoma
Beginning Nov. 1, tramadol and all products containing tramadol will be classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance in Oklahoma.
The new classification means that veterinarians and pharmacies will have to make some changes to their prescription and inventory policies, according to the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy (OSBP).
On Nov. 1, pharmacies will need to take an inventory of their tramadol products and keep it with their annual controlled dangerous substances (CDS) inventory.
Anyone prescribing tramadol will also need to follow the rules of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD), which means submitting tramadol prescription information to the prescription monitoring program.
The OSBP listed the following rules to observe beginning Nov. 1:
- All tramadol-containing prescriptions older than six months will be expired.
- All tramadol-containing prescriptions less than six months old but with more than five refills already dispensed will be expired.
- All tramadol-containing prescriptions less than six months old but with up to five refills remaining should be valid for the remainder of the six-month period and up to the remaining but not to exceed the five refills on a controlled prescription.
According to the OSBP, pharmacists might have to rewrite prescriptions for filing purposes, as well as make sure to reference them back to the original prescription number.
For more information, visit the OSBP website