Frequently Asked Questions

According to § 893.055(8) A prescriber or dispenser or a designee of a prescriber or dispenser must consult the system to review a patient’s controlled substance dispensing history before prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance for a patient age 16 or older. This requirement does not apply when prescribing or dispensing a nonopioid controlled substance listed in Schedule V of s. 893.03 or 21 U.S.C. 812 or prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance to a patient who has been admitted to hospice pursuant to s. 400.6095. For purposes of this subsection, a “nonopioid controlled substance” is a controlled substance that does not contain any amount of a substance listed as an opioid in s. 893.03 or 21 U.S.C. 812.

Under F.S. § 893.055(8), a prescriber or dispenser or a designee of a prescriber or dispenser must consult the system to review a patient’s controlled substance dispensing history before prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance for a patient age 16 or older.

Concerning consulting EFORCSE and when, under F.S. § 893.055(8), a prescriber must consult the PDMP “before prescribing” a controlled substance for a patient age 16 or older.

No. A prescriber is not required to consult E-FORCSE before each refill of a controlled-substance prescription. The prescriber must consult E-FORCSE before prescribing a controlled substance when consultation is required under section 893.055(8), Florida Statutes. A dispenser or the dispenser’s designee, however, must consult E-FORCSE before dispensing a controlled substance in Schedules II–V to a patient age 16 or older for each new and refill prescription, subject to applicable statutory exceptions

According to § 893.055(8), F.S. The prescriber must document in the patient’s record the reason the PDMP was not consulted and may prescribe no more than a 3-day supply of a controlled substance.

• If the EFORCSE system is not operational as determined by DOH, or
• The EFORCSE cannot be accessed by the prescriber practitioner due to a temporary technological or electrical failure or
• When prescribing a nonopioid Schedule V drug or
• The patient is less than 16 years of age or
• The patient has been admitted to hospice pursuant to § 400.6095, F.S.;

Florida Statute § 893.055(8) requires a prescriber or dispenser, or their designee, to consult E-FORCSE before prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance to a patient age 16 or older, subject to statutory exceptions.

Yes. Florida’s E-FORCSE/PDMP does purge information from its database. Under Florida Statute § 893.0551, the electronic PDMP system is required to “purge or cause to be purged information in the database that is more than 4 years old.”

Any subsequent offense will result in disciplinary action against the prescribing/dispensing practitioner’s license. Disciplinary guidelines are individually established by the appropriate licensing board.

The violation is subject to disciplinary action under § 456.073, F.S.

The violation is subject to disciplinary action under § 456.073, F.S.

Prescribers, dispensers and their designees may register for access at https://florida.pmpaware.net.