Controlled Substances Act - Schedule IV Controlled Substances

Schedule IV Controlled Substances

"Placement on schedules; findings required Schedule IV substances are those that have the following findings:

1. The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III
2. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
3. Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III

Control measures are similar to Schedule III. Prescriptions for Schedule IV drugs may be refilled up to five times within a six month period.

Drugs in this schedule include:

• Benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium)
  • temazepam (Restoril) (Note that some states require specially coded prescriptions for temazepam)
  • flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) (Note that flunitrazepam is not used medically in the United States);
• The benzodiazepine-like z-drugs: zolpidem (Ambien), zopiclone, eszopiclone, and zaleplon;
• Long-acting barbiturates such as phenobarbital;
• Some partial agonist opioid analgesics, such as pentazocine (Talwin);
• The stimulant-like drug modafinil (sold in the U.S. as Provigil) as well as its (R)-enantiomer armodafinil (sold in the U.S. as Nuvigil);
• Antidiarrheal drugs, such as difenoxin, when combined with atropine (Motofen) (difenoxin is 2–3 times more potent than diphenoxylate, the active ingredient in Lomotil, which is in Schedule V);
• Tramadol (Ultram), in some states