Dispensing Registration
The Board currently registers licensed doctors of osteopathic medicine that dispense medication. If this is the first time you are registering to dispense medications from your practice, or if your registration has expired, please complete the Initial Registration Form, available on the Form(s) tab. Please note that you will need to submit copies of your current DEA registration numbers.
If you are currently registered to dispense and are renewing your registration for the calendar year before the registration expires on December 31, please complete the Registration Renewal Form. (This form is updated annually.)
If you have questions about Dispensing, the answer is most likely in the FAQ.
If you have had a Registration to Dispense and are NOT Renewing it, YOU MUST use the Disposal of Inventory of Drugs and Devices form, available on the Form(s) tab, and disclose IN WRITING how you dispose of your inventory within 30 days of expiration pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-1871(F). This is required whether you are in private practice or employed. An example of how to complete this form is included on the second page of this document.
Please note that if you are a Nurse Practitioner, you will need to contact the Arizona Nursing Board as they are responsible for licensing and issuing dispensing permits to NPs.
Please note that if you are an MD, you will need to contact the Arizona Medical Board as they are responsible for licensing and issuing dispensing permits to MDs.
Fee(s)
| Initial Registration Fee - prorated by calendar year | $20.00 / month remaining |
| Renewal Fee - valid through the following calendar year | $240.00 |
In accordance with Board Rule, Fees are non-refundable. Please be sure that this is the correct Board and fee before payment is made.
Dispensing Physician Registration in Arizona FAQs
Arizona law (A.R.S. § 32-1871) requires that you register with the Board if are a doctor of osteopathic medicine and you dispense prescription only drugs or devices (excluding samples) to your patients from your office, clinic or practice location. This law applies only to osteopathic doctors practicing in Arizona, not to doctors practicing out of state. It does not apply to doctors who may work in large HMO practices or buildings that also have a pharmacy on-site, as long as that pharmacy has a licensed pharmacist and is under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Pharmacy Board.
No.
You must complete the Initial Dispensing Registration Form and submit it with a copy of your DEA certificate and the prorated fee to the Board. The form and instructions are available at Licensure / Licensing... / Dispensing Registration, Form(s) tab document titled "Dispensing Initial Registration Form". Use the Initial form if you have not registered as a dispensing physician or if you were registered previously and your registration expired. The Dispensing Physician Registration Annual Renewal Form is only available on the website from November 1st through December 31st and should only be used by those physicians renewing a current registration for the next calendar year (see Question "When do I need to renew my Dispensing Physician Registration?").
You must be actively licensed and practicing in Arizona. Your license must be free of any Board actions involving prescribing restrictions. You must have a current DEA certificate in your name in order to dispense medications. A copy of your DEA certificate should be submitted with your dispensing registration form.
Please read the directions and complete the form. Failure to provide required and complete information may delay the processing of your registration.
An email address is required. Your dispensing registration certificate is sent to you as a PDF attachment via email.
The Statutes and Rules can be found on our website under “Statutes and Rules” in the menu on the left side. The DEA may also have requirements with which you will need to comply in order to lawfully dispense medications. Please contact the DEA for further information.
The DEA requires a separate registration for each principal place of business or professional practice where controlled substances are stored, administered or dispensed by a person. Please provide the DEA registration information for each location from which you register to dispense. Please contact the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control for information about its requirements.
The initial registration fee is prorated. See the prorated fee chart on the Initial Registration Form on our website. The fee is $20 per month per calendar year for which you are registering to dispense. For example, if you register in January, the fee is $240. If you register in September, the fee is $80. The registration will expire on December 31st the same year and will need to be renewed in order to continue dispensing medications. Due to the renewal cycle, if you register between the months of October and December, the fee is $240 and the registration is valid through the following calendar year.
By December 31st each calendar year. There is no grace period for the renewal of Dispensing Physician Registrations. The registration expires on December 31st. Use the Dispensing Physician Registration Annual Renewal Form available on the website from November 1st through December 31st. Submit your registration renewal prior to December 31st to avoid any interruption in your dispensing privileges. After December 31st, you will need to re-register using the Initial Registration Form. The renewal fee is $240.00 per year.
Please submit a copy of your current DEA certificate with the Dispensing Registration Renewal Form to avoid delays in processing your application.
No. One fee covers all dispensing locations.
Send us a letter via email, fax or regular mail informing us of the changes to locations associated with your registration to dispense. You can use our form if you wish but a written letter is also acceptable. Please provide an email address to which we can send the certificates with your new registered location(s). There is no fee for changing your registered location(s).
Please note: The Board does not assume that when you change or add a dispensing location you are also requesting a practice address change. If you need to update your practice address with the Board, please do so using the online change of address on our website at Change of Address.
If you had a Dispensing Physician Registration and are NOT renewing this year, YOU MUST disclose IN WRITING how you disposed of your inventory pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-1871(F) using the Inventory Disposal Form located on our website at www.azdo.gov > For DOs > Dispensing Registration.
If the dispensing application is not for a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) then the Board will reject the application as we cannot issue dispensing permits to MDs or NPs. You will need to contact the Arizona Medical Board or Arizona Nursing Board respectively to determine the requirements for dispensing.