Civil Unrest Q&A Pharmacy Closure (Pharmacy)

Drug Enforcement Administration
Diversion Control Division
Civil Unrest Emergency Guidance Document
Title: Civil Unrest Q&A Pharmacy Closure (Pharmacy)
Question: My pharmacy was badly damaged and I will not be able to continue business. What
steps should I take to close permanently?
Answer: If you intend to discontinue business activities altogether, please promptly notify your
local DEA Field Office. You must return your certificate of registration for cancellation and any
unexecuted order forms (DEA 222s) to the attention of the DEA Registration Unit at 8701
Morrissette Drive, Springfield, VA 22152. 21 CFR 1301.52. 	You must also dispose of any
controlled substances in your inventory in accordance with 21 CFR 1317.05.
Further questions can be directed to your local DEA Field Office. Your local DEA Field Office can be
located at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/Inside.html#contact_us.
Please also contact your state regulatory boards for additional guidance.
Guidance documents, like this document, are not binding and lack the force and effect of law,
unless expressly authorized by statute or expressly incorporated into a contract, grant, or
cooperative agreement. Consistent with Executive Order 13891 and the Office of Management
and Budget implementing memoranda, the Department will not cite, use, or rely on any guidance
document that is not accessible through the Department’s guidance portal, or similar guidance
portals for other Executive Branch departments and agencies, except to establish historical facts.
To the extent any guidance document sets out voluntary standards (e.g., recommended practices),
compliance with those standards is voluntary, and noncompliance will not result in enforcement
action. Guidance documents may be rescinded or modified in the Department’s complete
discretion, consistent with applicable laws.
EO-DEA166, June 10, 2020