Validation and Counseling of Prescriptions for Controlled Substances and Opioids - Pharmacy
About the course
Florida Validation and Counseling of Prescriptions for Controlled Substances and Opioids: 2-Hour Pharmacist Course
Florida Board of Pharmacy Approved • Rule 64B16-27.831, F.A.C. • All Florida Pharmacists
FL Board of Pharmacy Provider #50-18921 • Reported to CE Broker • No Subscription Required • $[PRICE]What's Included
Post-test Assessment
Required post-test on validating controlled substance prescriptions, E-FORCSE, opioid counseling, and Florida law. A score of 70% or higher earns credit.
Self-Paced Online Course
Complete on-demand at your own pace, 24/7, from any device. Your progress saves as you go.
Quick Summary: Florida Pharmacist Controlled Substances CE
- Credit Hours: 2 contact hours (satisfies the Board-approved controlled substances requirement for Florida pharmacists)
- Who Must Complete: Every Florida-licensed pharmacist, every biennial renewal. Newly licensed pharmacists must complete it before the end of their first renewal period.
- CE Broker Reporting: We report your completion to CE Broker for you, usually within 24 hours. This course reports to CE Broker only and does not report to NABP CPE Monitor.
- Certificate: Available as soon as you pass the post-test and submit the course evaluation
- Format: 100% online, self-paced, with a required post-test
- Subscription: None. One-time purchase.
Florida pharmacists: current licenses expire at midnight Eastern Time on September 30, 2027. The Department of Health checks your CE Broker record when you renew, so complete your controlled substances hours before you start the renewal application.
100% Florida Board of Pharmacy Compliant
This course was built to satisfy the mandatory 2-hour Validation and Counseling of Prescriptions for Controlled Substances and Opioids requirement for Florida pharmacists.
How This Course Meets Florida Requirements:
1. Required Content: The course covers each content area listed in Rule 64B16-27.831(6), F.A.C., from ensuring patient access to naloxone and treatment resources.
2. Board-Approved Provider: Renew Now CE is an approved provider of continuing education by the Florida Board of Pharmacy (Provider #50-18921).
3. Pharmacist-Reviewed: Content is reviewed by a PharmD for accuracy and relevance to pharmacy practice.
4. Automatic CE Broker Reporting: We report your completion to CE Broker, usually within 24 hours. You do not need to send your certificate to the Board. This course does not report to NABP CPE Monitor.
5. Two-Hour Format: Florida requires a 2-hour course. This course awards exactly 2 contact hours.
Florida Pharmacist Controlled Substances Requirement at a Glance
| Hours Required: | 2 hours every biennial renewal |
| Who Must Complete: | All Florida-licensed pharmacists, including newly licensed |
| Official Course Title: | Validation and Counseling of Prescriptions for Controlled Substances and Opioids |
| Legal Authority: | Rule 64B16-27.831(6) and (7), F.A.C.; Rule 64B16-26.103, F.A.C. |
| Regulating Agency: | Florida Board of Pharmacy, Florida Department of Health |
| Approval Required: | Must be Florida Board of Pharmacy approved |
| Reporting: | CE Broker only (not NABP CPE Monitor) |
| Current License Expiration: | September 30, 2027 |
| Content Focus: | Prescription validation, E-FORCSE, opioid counseling, naloxone, disposal, treatment resources |
What's Included
Post-test Assessment
Required post-test on controlled substance validation, counseling, and Florida law. Pass with 70% or higher.
Self-Paced Course
Complete on-demand at your own pace, 24/7, from any device.
Certificate and CE Broker Reporting
Download your certificate right after you finish. We send your completion to CE Broker for you.
Learning Objectives
- ✓ Describe a pharmacist's role in ensuring access to controlled substances for all patients with a valid prescription and determining appropriate therapeutic value.
- ✓ Identify an example of prescriptions not based on a legitimate medical purpose.
- ✓ Describe documentation, prescription restrictions, delegation, registration and use of the Electronic-Florida Online Reporting of Controlled Substance Evaluation Program (E-FORCSE).
- ✓ Identify legal repercussions of violating Florida requirements for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).
- ✓ Identify resources for proper patient storage and disposal of controlled substances.
- ✓ Acknowledge protocols for addressing and resolving problems during the drug utilization review, including drug-to-drug interactions, side effects, and available treatment resources for opioid physical dependence, addiction, misuse, or abuse.
- ✓ Describe the pharmacist-initiated counseling of patients with opioid prescriptions.
- ✓ Describe Florida statute section 381.887, emergency treatment for opioid overdose and the State Surgeon General's Standing order for Naloxone.
Course Content Overview
The course starts with federal scheduling and Florida law, moves into validation and E-FORCSE, then covers each major drug class a pharmacist validates and counsels on:
- Controlled Substances Act and Scheduling: the five schedules, how drugs are added or rescheduled, and the role of the DEA
- Misuse, Storage, and Disposal: where misused medications come from, safe home storage, DEA Authorized Collection Sites, mail-back programs, and National Drug Take Back Day
- Safe Prescribing Under s. 456.44, F.S.: required records, screening tools and their limits, and monitoring for signs of misuse or diversion
- E-FORCSE: Florida's PDMP, when it must be checked, patient history searches, and what current evidence shows about PDMP mandates
- Florida Acute Pain Limits: the 3-day Schedule II opioid limit, the 7-day "acute pain exception," and non-acute pain prescriptions
- Naloxone and s. 381.887, F.S.: emergency opioid antagonists, the Surgeon General's Standing Order, pharmacist ordering authority, and over-the-counter nasal sprays
- APRN Prescribing of Controlled Substances: Florida requirements for nurse practitioners and why multiple prescribers raise overdose risk
- Validating a Prescription: legitimate medical purpose, DEA and Florida prescription elements, warning signs, and the duty to report prescriber diversion
- Addiction, Dependence, and Substance Use Disorder: definitions, DSM criteria, remission, and withdrawal
- Opioids and Pain: potency, types of pain, non-opioid alternatives, and recent evidence against routine opioids after dental extraction
- Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: buprenorphine after the end of the X-waiver, methadone, and naltrexone
- Depressants: benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, the opioid, benzodiazepine, and carisoprodol combination, and flumazenil
- Stimulants: amphetamines, methylphenidate, ADHD, illicit stimulant use, and stimulant-induced psychosis
Course Features
Florida Board of Pharmacy Compliance Details
Legal Authority: Rule 64B16-27.831(6) and (7), F.A.C. (Standards of Practice for the Filling of Controlled Substance Prescriptions; Mandatory Continuing Education) and Rule 64B16-26.103, F.A.C. (Continuing Education Credits; Renewal).
Provider Approval: Renew Now CE is an approved provider of continuing education by the Florida Board of Pharmacy, Provider #50-18921.
Reporting: Completion is reported to CE Broker automatically. It may take up to 24 hours for the course to appear on your transcript. This course reports to CE Broker only and does not report to NABP CPE Monitor. If it has not posted after 24 hours, email [email protected] or contact us here.
Content Compliance: Course content addresses the required topics in Rule 64B16-27.831(6), F.A.C., including validation, PDMP use, counseling, naloxone, disposal, and treatment resources.
Requirements for Credit: Complete 100% of the course material, score 70% or higher on the post-test, and submit the course evaluation to receive your certificate.
Planners and Faculty: Joanna Nolte, APRN, MSN (course author and planner) and Ryan Bendinelli, PharmD (content reviewer). Neither has a conflict of interest to disclose.
Course Details
Release Date
October 1, 2026
Last Reviewed
July 28, 2026
Expiration
[MONTH DAY, YEAR]
Complete Your Florida Controlled Substances Requirement Today
Two Board-approved hours for Florida pharmacists, reported to CE Broker for you.
FL Board of Pharmacy Approved CE Broker Reported Instant Certificate Every Renewal
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Legal References: Florida controlled substances CE requirement established by Rule 64B16-27.831, F.A.C. and Rule 64B16-26.103, F.A.C. Naloxone: s. 381.887, F.S. Florida PDMP: E-FORCSE. Renewal requirements: Florida Board of Pharmacy Pharmacist Renewal.
Need More Florida Pharmacist CE?
Florida pharmacists need 30 hours per renewal, including 2 hours of medication errors. Pair this course with our Florida Medication Errors course, or browse the full course catalog for more Florida Board of Pharmacy approved CE.
Every course is reported to CE Broker for you, so your transcript stays current without extra steps.
Need help? If you have a question, contact us here.
