DEA Registration

[monchi]

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I did the on-line DEA registration application 6 weeks ago. Nothing - no snail mail, no e-mail. I've called twice, and told to wait.
What's you experience with this annoying process? Should I be worried?

 

[SammyDavisJrJr]

I got my DEA number a year and a half ago. I actually got the certificate in the mail within a week (I was really surprised because I heard it takes forever). I think my experience was a fluke. I wouldn't be too worried. Good luck!

 

[rsgillmd]

I got mine pretty quickly also, although I don't remember the exact time frame. I don't think you can do anything other than to call them each week to make sure they haven't forgotten about you.

6 weeks seems like a really long time. Does the DEA website say what the expected timeframe is? If you've still got time in their timeframe, I would just wait.

 

[aneftp]

If this is your first DEA, remember it can take 6 weeks or even 8 weeks to receive it.

Verify which hospital/surgery center you wrote as your business address. Did you mark to send it to your home address. The DEA will need to verify both business and home addresses, especially if you marked to deliver it to the home.

When I had my first DEA in 2004, it took 8 weeks. It was finally delivered not to my residency hospital, but to my new hospital where I was going to be an attending. So somehow they messed up.

Of note: Because of the Washington DC blizzard a few weeks ago (remember they had like 35 inches of snow) the DEA offices were closed almost all week long and that could account for the delay.

For renewals (especially if you are still in same hospital), you can actually print out the renewal DEA registration immediately after the online application.

 

[monchi]

Thanks for the advice.
I called the federal office, and they said to call the regional - which I did, and left a message. I'll fax them, too.
Oh well, I'll just have to wait - as will my next employer. That's the main reason why I'm bothering - they want it, ASAP. So I'm trying. But I suspect, like all things that involve the government, it's a futile endeavor.

 

[monchi]

So I call the federal office, and was told the hold-up was at the regional. I called the regional office, left a voice message, and faxed them a letter. Got a call yesterday saying that it was approved. It happened to be approved on the same day I faxed them a letter. It must have been sitting there, and would still be, if I hadn't done all of that. It must be nice to work for the government.

Thanks for the replies to my post.