DEA & State Licensing

[vitriol102]

Greetings!

I would really appreciate some help with the following questions. This DEA and state licensing stuff is driving me bonkers! 😱

Currently I am a resident, but will be finishing up in a few months.

DEA LICENSE:
1. The application for a DEA license asks for business address. Is it ok if I use my residency program's address? If not, what do I use? Most likely I will the program a few weeks after I get the license

2. Do I need to "renew" or redo the application process if I move to another state? Is there a fee involved.

STATE MEDICAL LICENSE
1. I've heard people say not to let your state licenses expire. Is this true?

2. Are there any ramifications to letting your FULL state license expire?

3. It is highly unlikely that I will practice in the state where I am currently doing my residency. Does this change any of the answers to Q1 or Q2?

Thank you

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[smq123]

Greetings!

I would really appreciate some help with the following questions. This DEA and state licensing stuff is driving me bonkers! 😱

Currently I am a resident, but will be finishing up in a few months.

DEA LICENSE:
1. The application for a DEA license asks for business address. Is it ok if I use my residency program's address? If not, what do I use? Most likely I will the program a few weeks after I get the license

2. Do I need to "renew" or redo the application process if I move to another state? Is there a fee involved.

STATE MEDICAL LICENSE
1. I've heard people say not to let your state licenses expire. Is this true?

2. Are there any ramifications to letting your FULL state license expire?

3. It is highly unlikely that I will practice in the state where I am currently doing my residency. Does this change any of the answers to Q1 or Q2?

Thank you

For the DEA:
1) It would be better if you used the address of the practice you will be joining. (If you're graduating residency in a few month, I assume that you have a job lined up...right?) Call their credentialing officer or the human resources director, and they can tell you which address to use.

For the state medical license:
1) I've heard that you should suspend your full state license, rather than let it expire. It's cheaper to re-activate a suspended license than apply for a new one. However, if you're just talking about a training license, then it has to expire anyway (and it's not like you paid for it, in all likelihood).

 

[cabinbuilder]

I use my home address for my DEA license because I do locums. You change the location on-line for every job site you go to. It's easy and is no cost.

Don't let your state license expire unless you are sure that you will not be going back to that state. It's easier to suspend or renew rather than go through the hassle of re-credentialling for an expired one.

 

[Smurfette]

With the DEA, some states require a separate DEA "license" or permit specifically for that state in addition to your regular state medical license. If you practice in such a state, you have to FIRST get the state permit and then will be issued (or allowed to use) your federal DEA. I practice in two states, and have different DEA numbers depending on which state I am in at the time. One state requires a state-specific DEA license/permit, and one does not.

Regarding the state licenses, in general, it is easier to keep them active (or suspended) than later on have to go through the licensing process again after letting it expire.

 

[gutonc]

Agree completely with what everybody has said so far. I too use my home address for the DEA (and for my state license). Use whatever address you want and then update it if/when you move.

And you should absolutely suspend/inactivate your license rather than letting it lapse. You will still have to pay a fee of some sort which is usually much smaller than the fee for an active license but when you want to re-activate it all it usually takes is a single form and a payment (sometimes just done online) rather than the severe pain of re-licensing.

That said, if you are 100% certain that you will never practice there again, there are no real ramifications to letting it lapse. You won't get anything on your NPDB record about it like you would if it were suspended or revoked by the state (which is what it sounds to me that you're worried about).

 

[Socrates25]

DEA LICENSE:
2. Do I need to "renew" or redo the application process if I move to another state? Is there a fee involved.

If you change states, then changing DEA can be a pain in the ass, not because of the DEA number itself but because some/most states require you to carry a state narcotics license in addition to the DEA. The DEA website wont let you change addresses to one of those states until you have the state narcotics license number. Getting that state narcotics license number can take anywhere between 2 weeks - 3 months depending on which state it is.

DEA fees are ridiculous BTW, jacked up the cost to $731 for a 3 year period. If you work at a state or federal facility you dont have to pay the fee. Once you pay the fee, there is no fee for transferring it to another state.