In the state of Illinois, all professionals who wish to prescribe or utilize controlled substances in the practice of their profession are required to hold a special license allowing them to do so. The process is governed and regulated by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The various professions requiring such a license are exclusively medical in nature, and include physicians, certain nurses, optometrists, surgeons, veterinarians, and dentists. Importantly, your Illinois license is only the first step – you must also obtain a federal license from the Drug Enforcement Administration. In this Fact Sheet, we'll take a look at how Illinois dentists can go about obtaining and maintaining their individual controlled substance licenses.

Obtaining a License

Obviously, the first step in obtaining a dental controlled substance license is becoming a dentist. This process is dealt with in a separate Fact Sheet, but you can take a look at the various procedures and paperwork required to be an Illinois dentist here – yes, there is quite a bit of regulation involved.

Once you have successfully obtained your dental sciences degree and fulfilled all the necessary intern and professional requirements, you may begin the process of applying for full licensure, which will necessarily include obtaining a controlled substance license. You will need a controlled substance license for every place in which the substances are to be used or stored. This is important – if you practice at more than one dental office, you will need to possess a separate license for every office at which your practice.

The full application for state licensure is available here. You will primarily have to disclose any crimes you have been convicted of, as well as supply some limited financial information. The fee for the controlled substance application is five dollars, and it must be sent via mail to the office of the IDFPR, the address of which is printed on the application.

Remember, as mentioned earlier, you will also need federal certification before you may begin utilizing controlled substances in your dental practice. Federal licenses are granted by the DEA's Office of Diversion Control. There are a few types of licenses for those who wish to work with controlled substances, including academic research and the medical profession. Dentists will submit Form 224, the catch-all application for medical providers. Simply create an account at the previously linked page and begin the paperwork, which is done entirely online (and is in fact a surprisingly pain-free process). The cost for application is $731, and the license is good for three years.

Maintaining a License

For reference, all of the procedures regarding controlled substances in Illinois are governed by Controlled Substances Act, which is available to read in full at that link. It bears stressing that the law takes the utilization and possession of controlled substances for medical purposes extremely seriously. While the topic is a complex one and outside the purview of this Fact Sheet, dentists should know that any deviations from the law may result in not only the suspension or revocation of a license, but also criminal charges.

That said, by the time you receive your controlled substance license, you should already be well educated in their use and maintenance. Your license must be renewed each even-numbered year by September 30. When it is the “renewal period,” you can access an online renewal application through the drop-down menu on this page.

The IDFPR retains the ability to bring administrative charges against any professionals alleged to be abusing their license, which will result in formal hearings – you can learn a bit more about the hearing process by clicking the links on this page.