Question about verifying DEA#

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newslang

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I read in my PTC exam review book that to verify the DEA# you add the sum of the odd and even numbers together, multiply that by two and then check to make sure the last digit of that number is the same as the seventh digit. It doesn't actually say specifically to not add the 7th number but this is implied in the example.

Wouldn't it be simpler and more correct to just say "Find the sum of the first six digits, double it and verify that the last digit of this number is the same as the last digit of the DEA#?
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Only half right. It would be simpler but on the downside that's not how you figure it out so you would get a wrong answer...that is unless by sheer chance it came out correct.
 
Just to clarify, by odd and even they mean the digit's position as opposed to the property of the number itself. Either way I still don't see how the two explinations differ other than the second one being more succinct.
 
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You're overlooking that neither way is correct as you've described.
 
newslang said:
I read in my PTC exam review book that to verify the DEA# you add the sum of the odd and even numbers together, multiply that by two and then check to make sure the last digit of that number is the same as the seventh digit. It doesn't actually say specifically to not add the 7th number but this is implied in the example.

Wouldn't it be simpler and more correct to just say "Find the sum of the first six digits, double it and verify that the last digit of this number is the same as the last digit of the DEA#?
Click to expand...


most pharmacy software does this for you....
 
In the example the number is 3284066. (3+2+8+4+0+6)x2=46. 6 is the last digit of both the numbers, making the number valid. What am I missing here? Thank you for your patience.
 
That's odd. The Delmar PTC exam review book gives a different series of steps than that link, consistent with what I originally typed.

Bananaface is that your favorite DEA number?
 
Sorry, none of you are right yet.

Count the number off by odd, even, odd, even, odd, even (sorry - npage - not negative:) )

Add up the odd numbers (in their order, not by their property).

Then, add up the evens & double the sum of those.

Add those two together - the odds & double the sum of the evens.

The last digit in the DEA # should be the last digit in the sum you've just done.

The first letter is always an A or a B (penguins - your website is wrong - it doesn't matter what profession the prescriber is in - my husband has an A because he's old, like me, but he's a dentist). They ran out of A's, went to B & will go on down the alphabet.

The second letter is the first letter of the prescribers name at the time the DEA # was given. For women, this letter may not match their name - if they've married, divorced or whatever.

The DEA # never changes - it is for life. I'd give you mine or my husband's to check out, but that is just too much info to give over a public forum.
 
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sdn1977 said:
The first letter is always an A or a B (penguins - your website is wrong - it doesn't matter what profession the prescriber is in - my husband has an A because he's old, like me, but he's a dentist). They ran out of A's, went to B & will go on down the alphabet.
Click to expand...
The DEA#'s for midlevel practitioners start with an M. Dentists are not considered midlevels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEA_number
This is accurate
 
Man. This pharmacist "taught" me this last year, never figured I'd actually hear anyone talk about it, or use it for that matter.

Oh, btw, while we're talking about DEAs, residents in a hospital use the hospital DEA number, and attach their hospital-designated provider number to the end, like AB1234567-1234. And anyone authorized to prescribe suboxone will have a DEA starting with X. I think there might be a weird letter for thalidomide too, but i'm not too sure...
 
psychoandy said:
Oh, btw, while we're talking about DEAs, residents in a hospital use the hospital DEA number, and attach their hospital-designated provider number to the end, like AB1234567-1234. And anyone authorized to prescribe suboxone will have a DEA starting with X. I think there might be a weird letter for thalidomide too, but i'm not too sure...
Click to expand...

Their DEA number still starts with a A or B like normal, but their Suboxone prescribing number just replaces the A or B with an X and its just many computer systems use it in that place and docs are in the habit of writing it in the DEA spot.

SDN, it was late and i was tired and in my book negative=odd :D
 
psychoandy said:
Man. This pharmacist "taught" me this last year, never figured I'd actually hear anyone talk about it, or use it for that matter.

Oh, btw, while we're talking about DEAs, residents in a hospital use the hospital DEA number, and attach their hospital-designated provider number to the end, like AB1234567-1234. And anyone authorized to prescribe suboxone will have a DEA starting with X. I think there might be a weird letter for thalidomide too, but i'm not too sure...
Click to expand...

CA stopped allowing this the year we did away with the triplicates:thumbup: .

It caused havoc at first....because a DEA registration is expensive, few residents ever got one until they had to. But, now in CA, an institutional # can only be used for the institution (& an institution cannot write an rx)..so when they arrive every July - their packet contains: nametag, parking permit, locker assignment & DEA application:D .

We use the attending's until the application comes thru, but by Sept - everyone has them.

Its funny how the computers know - ours were set to shut off those institution #'s as soon as the ink was dry on the law:( .

Has anyone been using UPIN #'s much? I had to use one for an inhalational drug covered under Part B, but that was the first time. I'm hoping its a quick download & I (or more likely my tech) won't have to input them one by one!!! I haven't applied for one yet...don't know why I'm putting it off, but I guess I should soon.
 
bananaface said:
I had one insurance company that wanted mine last week. I think it was UPIN. Apparently we are all switching over to them by April or something? Yeah, tell that to our programming people. :rolleyes:
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Exactly - I'm not sure there is even an empty "field" in which I can place it.

I guess they'll get it figured out!
 
Sorry on the DEAs you are a bit off.

Physician does start with A or B, but as of last month they are running out of B's so they can also start with an F (not sure what happened to C, D, and E).

and yes suboxone authorized prescribers start with an X but only on their suboxone prescriptions (other controls still get their A or B)

ARNP, and PAs start with an M, but the same verification rules still apply.
 
There is a definite error in Delmar Learning's PTC Exam Review 2nd edition. It states that the DEA # is found in the way I described in my OP, claiming that 3284066 is a valid number.
 
newslang said:
There is a definite error in Delmar Learning's PTC Exam Review 2nd edition. It states that the DEA # is found in the way I described in my OP, claiming that 3284066 is a valid number.
Click to expand...
Yep, definitely an error. That number should be 3284065.

odd positions: 3 + 8 + 0 = 11
even positions: 2(2 + 4 + 6) = 2(12) = 24
11 + 24 = 35
last digit of 35 is a 5, so that's the 7th and final digit
 
VanduchiPharmD said:
Sorry on the DEAs you are a bit off.

Physician does start with A or B, but as of last month they are running out of B's so they can also start with an F (not sure what happened to C, D, and E).

and yes suboxone authorized prescribers start with an X but only on their suboxone prescriptions (other controls still get their A or B)

ARNP, and PAs start with an M, but the same verification rules still apply.
Click to expand...

I think the UPINs are starting with F - not sure about all the states though - but I think that's where they are starting.....at least the new residents in my geographic area (they have both the F # & the traditional DEA # & they've been B's - these are residents as of last July so thats pretty recent). The DEA will be reserved for controlled substances only - not insurance billing. I've had a couple of F#s & they've been UPINs.

I haven't gotten mine & neither has my husband so I don't know for sure (we're both lazy!). But - he's gotten info from the DEA that his DEA # won't change - he just has another #to remember. It takes effect in May - not sure of the exact date in May though.

In CA - what you guys refer to as suboxones don't work in our state - we don't accept them under our state law....which trumps federal law. So - that could very well be valid in a state other than CA.

And yeah...midlevels do use M as the prefix. Mine is an M # since I'm considered a midlevel. (sorry-my mistake again:oops: ).

Banana - have you gotten a UPIN yet? What does it start with?
 
JerryPharmD said:
Pharmacists can prescribe controls? or are you also an NP/PA?
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Nope- just a plain old pharmacist.

Under certain protocols, we can prescribe controlled drugs.

But....to do anything in CA & to be able to bill for it - like EC, immunizations, etc....you need a DEA...until May - then you just need a UPIN.

I don't prescribe controlled drugs under any protocol, so I don't need to continue it - just need to keep a UPIN. When I write for a controlled drug within a hospital setting, I do it as a verbal order from the physician, so I don't need it.
 
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