MedicaidAdministrativeHigh impact
Action Required: Drug Enforcement Administration Certification Required for Prescribing Controlled Substances
NC Medicaid - NCDHHS·NC · Pharmacy, General Practice, Family Medicine +6 more·Pharmacy
Effective date
Nov 1, 2026
We identified it
Sep 2, 2026
Summary
NC Medicaid now requires prescribers to have an active DEA certification on file in NCTracks before controlled substance claims will be adjudicated. Beginning November 1, 2026, pharmacy claims for controlled substances will be denied if the prescribing provider lacks an active DEA number in their NCTracks provider enrollment record. Billing teams must ensure all prescribing providers have DEA certifications documented in NCTracks by this deadline.
Action Required
By November 1, 2026: Billing team must verify that all prescribing providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, optometrists, and dentists) have active DEA certifications documented in their individual NCTracks provider enrollment records. Identify any providers who previously used the DEA Designation Form process during enrollment and work with the Office Administrator of record to submit a Manage Change Request (MCR) through the NCTracks secure Provider Portal to add DEA certification details. MCRs typically take 7-10 business days to process, so submit immediately to allow time for completion before the November 1, 2026 deadline. Failure to have active DEA certifications on file will result in automatic claim denials for all controlled substance prescriptions with dates of service on or after November 1, 2026. Contact NCTracks Call Center (800-688-6696) or Provider Ombudsman (866-304-7062) for assistance. Reference the 'How to Add or Update Credentials' job aid and DEA Certification FAQs available through NC Medicaid.