Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Death notification procedures and required documents
DEA Diversion Control Division
8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, VA 22152
The Drug Enforcement Administration enforces the Controlled Substances Act and sets the rules under 21 CFR Part 1317 for safely disposing of controlled-substance medications. When a person dies, the DEA's Diversion Control Division provides two paths the family will use: authorized collectors and take-back programs for ordinary household disposal of the deceased's prescriptions, and registrant-disposal procedures (DEA Form 41) if the decedent was a DEA-registered practitioner with controlled substances in their professional inventory.
Death notification
DEA does not receive death reports for the general public. Families with leftover Schedule II–V prescription medications belonging to the deceased dispose of them under 21 CFR Part 1317 Subpart B by using a DEA-authorized collector, a collection receptacle, a mail-back program, or the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. If the decedent was a DEA-registered practitioner (physician, dentist, pharmacist, veterinarian, mid-level practitioner) with controlled substances in their registered inventory, the estate must dispose of those substances under 21 CFR Part 1317 Subpart A and surrender the DEA registration to the DEA. DEA Form 41 (Registrant Record of Controlled Substances Destroyed) is kept as the record of any destruction.
Deadline: No fixed statutory deadline; dispose of household prescription medications as soon as practical to prevent diversion. Registrant-inventory disposal and surrender of the DEA registration should be initiated promptly by the executor or personal representative.
Forms
Used by DEA registrants (or their executor coordinating with DEA) to document the destruction of controlled substances from the registrant's inventory. Kept as the record of destruction; not submitted to DEA unless requested. Must be available for inspection for at least two years (21 U.S.C. 827).
View form →Used by DEA registrants to report theft or significant loss of controlled substances. Submitted through the DEA Theft/Loss Reporting (TLR) online system.
View form →When someone dies
Notifying the DEA after a death
6-step process, 5 required documents.
View details →Frequently asked questions
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a DEA-coordinated event held twice a year, typically in April and October. Local law enforcement and DEA partners set up no-cost, anonymous collection sites that accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid pharmaceutical dosage forms. Find a site at www.dea.gov/takebackday on the event date.
If no authorized collector is reasonably available, FDA recommends checking its Flush List — a short list of high-risk medications, including some opioids, that are safe to flush down the toilet to prevent accidental ingestion. For medications not on the flush list, EPA guidance is to mix the medication with an unappealing substance like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, seal it in a bag, and place it in the household trash.
No. DEA take-back events and most authorized collection receptacles accept solid pharmaceutical dosage forms (tablets, capsules, patches) and may accept some liquids in original packaging, but they do not accept sharps, needles, or syringes. Dispose of sharps using an FDA-cleared sharps container; EPA provides guidance on disposing of medical sharps.
DEA Diversion Control Division
8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, VA 22152