StacksVerified U.S. regulatory reference

21 CFR §290.10

Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
For the purposes of authorizing an oral prescription of a controlled substance listed in schedule II of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the term emergency situation means those situations in which the prescribing practitioner determines:
  1. (a)That immediate administration of the controlled substance is necessary, for proper treatment of the intended ultimate user; and
  2. (b)That no appropriate alternative treatment is available, including administration of a drug which is not a controlled substance under schedule II of the Act, and
  3. (c)That it is not reasonably possible for the prescribing practitioner to provide a written prescription to be presented to the person dispensing the substance, prior to the dispensing.