Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances

Who Is Required to Take This Course?

Florida law requires all Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)—including Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNP), Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM), and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS)—to complete a 3-hour course on the safe and effective prescription of controlled substances. This requirement applies to every Florida APRN regardless of DEA license status, per Florida Statute 464.0123 and Florida Statute 456.44.

Updated for Florida SB 844 (effective July 1, 2026): This course satisfies Florida's controlled-substances CE requirement, including the new requirement that prescriber CE address the treatment of pain for patients with sickle cell disease. Florida APRNs renewing on or after July 1, 2026 can meet this requirement here.

Course #20-688725 is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing (Provider #50-18921) and ANCC-accredited (Provider #P0557).

What This Course Covers: Hour-by-Hour Breakdown

Hour 1: Florida Regulations & Controlled Substance Foundations

• Florida Statute 456.44 requirements for APRN prescribing of controlled substances
• DEA registration requirements and APRN scope of practice under Florida law
• The five schedules of controlled substances (Schedule I-V) under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)
• Factors determining drug scheduling: medical use, abuse potential, and dependence liability
• Drug misuse statistics: hydrocodone as most commonly misused prescription opioid, fentanyl overdose epidemic
• Safe storage guidelines and DEA disposal requirements (Take Back programs, authorized collection sites, mail-back programs)
• Medical record requirements per FL 456.44: history, photo ID, prescription duplicates, drug testing results

Hour 2: Safe Prescribing, PDMP & Florida's EFORCSE System

• Risk screening for substance abuse: NIDA Quick Screen Questionnaire, patient substance involvement (SI) scoring
• Required referrals for patients with substance abuse indicators (board-certified pain management, addiction medicine)
• Informed consent requirements: cognitive impairment risks, respiratory depression, overdose potential
• Written controlled substance agreements per FL 456.44: single prescriber rule, compliance terms, non-adherence consequences
• Monitoring at 3-month intervals: compliance assessment, diversion indicators, documentation requirements
• Florida's EFORCSE (E-FORCSE) PDMP: mandatory consultation for Schedule II-V, partial name searches, designee registration
• Acute pain prescribing limits: 3-day supply rule, 7-day "Acute Pain Exception" documentation, non-acute pain requirements
• Opioid potency and Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) calculations
• The "Holy Trinity" fatal drug combination: opioid + benzodiazepine + carisoprodol (Soma)

Hour 3: Pain Management, MAT, Depressants & Stimulants

• Pain classification: acute (<1 month), subacute (1-3 months), chronic (>3 months) per CDC Guidelines
• Chronic pain prevalence (20% of US adults) and disparities in pain treatment across racial/ethnic groups and gender
• Naloxone (Narcan) as opioid reversal agent: mechanism, dosing, administration routes (IV, IM, intranasal)
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): buprenorphine (Subutex/Suboxone), methadone, naltrexone (Vivitrol)
• CARA provisions expanding NP/PA buprenorphine prescribing (DATA waiver elimination)
• Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (zolpidem/Ambien): FDA warnings on next-morning impairment, reduced dosing for women
• Flumazenil (Romazicon) as benzodiazepine reversal agent: dosing, withdrawal seizure risks
• Stimulants and ADHD: DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, amphetamine vs methylphenidate psychosis risk, adolescent misuse patterns

Why Florida APRNs Choose This Course

• Automatic Save & Resume: Your progress is saved automatically — leave and return anytime, even days later
• Structured Learning Experience: Clear sections with reflection questions to reinforce learning
• Seamless CE Broker Reporting: Automatic reporting included — we handle it for you
• Instant Certificate Access: Download your certificate immediately upon completion
• Lifetime Access: Return to your certificate anytime you need it
• Mobile-Friendly Platform: Complete on any device at your convenience

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of Course #20-688725, participants will be able to:

• Describe the APRN's scope of practice and responsibilities for prescribing controlled substances according to Florida regulations (FL Statute 456.44)
• Identify the five schedules of controlled substances and the criteria for drug scheduling under the CSA
• Explain Florida's EFORCSE PDMP requirements, including designee processes and mandatory consultation rules
• Describe appropriate patient management including documentation, informed consent, treatment plans, prescriber-patient opioid agreements, and the 3-month monitoring process
• Identify resources for proper disposal of controlled substances, including DEA Take Back programs

ANCC Accreditation

Renew Now CE is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation (Provider #P0557). This course is approved for 3 pharmacotherapeutic contact hours.

Course #20-688725 is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing (Provider #50-18921) and meets the mandatory 3-hour controlled substances education requirement for all Florida APRNs under Florida Statute 464.0123.

Course Author

Joanna Nolte, APRN, MSN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC — Board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with expertise in Florida nursing regulations and controlled substance prescribing. Content reviewed by Tamarah Jungklaus, APRN, MSN. No conflicts of interest to disclose.

What Florida Nurse Practitioners Are Saying