Drug Schedules
Drugs, substances, and certain chemicals used to make drugs are classified into
five (5) distinct categories or schedules depending upon the drug’s acceptable
medical use and the drug’s abuse or dependency potential. The abuse rate is a
determinate factor in the scheduling of the drug; for example, Schedule I drugs are
considered the most dangerous class of drugs with a high potential for abuse and
potentially severe psychological and/or physical dependence. As the drug schedule
changes-- Schedule II, Schedule III, etc., so does the abuse potential-- Schedule V
drugs represents the least potential for abuse. A Listing of drugs and their schedule
are located at Controlled Substance Act (CSA) Scheduling or CSA Scheduling by
Alphabetical Order. These lists describes the basic or parent chemical and do not
necessarily describe the salts, isomers and salts of isomers, esters, ethers and
derivatives which may also be classified as controlled substances. These lists are
intended as general references and are not comprehensive listings of all controlled
substances.
Please note that a substance need not be listed as a controlled substance to be
treated as a Schedule I substance for criminal prosecution. A controlled substance
analogue is a substance which is intended for human consumption and is
structurally or pharmacologically substantially similar to or is represented as being
similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II substance and is not an approved medication
in the United States. (See 21 U.S.C. §802(32)(A) for the definition of a controlled
substance analogue and 21 U.S.C. §813 for the schedule.)
Schedule I
Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently
accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most
dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or
physical dependence. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are:
- Heroin - Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
- Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) (Ecstasy)
- Marijuana (cannabis) - Methaqualone
- Peyote
Schedule II
Schedule II drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high
potential for abuse, less abuse potential than Schedule I drugs, with use potentially
leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also
considered dangerous. Some examples of Schedule II drugs are:
- Cocaine - Oxycodone (OxyContin)
- Methamphetamine - Fentanyl
- Methadone - Dexedrine
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) - Adderall
- Meperidine (Demerol) - Ritalin
Schedule III
Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate
to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs
abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than
Schedule IV. Some examples of Schedule III drugs are:
- Combination products with less than 15 milligrams of hydrocodone per dosage
unit (Vicodin)
- Products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol
with codeine)
- Ketamine
- Anabolic Steroids
- Testosterone
Schedule IV
Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low
potential for abuse and low risk of dependence. Some examples of Schedule IV
drugs are:
- Xanax - Valium
- Soma - Activan
- Darvon - Talwin
- Darvocet - Ambien
Schedule V
Schedule V drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with lower
potential for abuse than Schedule IV and consist of preparations containing limited
quantities of certain narcotics. Schedule V drugs are generally used for
antidiarrheal, antitussive, and analgesic purposes. Some examples of Schedule V
drugs are:
- Cough preparations with less than 200 milligrams of codeine or per 100 milliliters
(Robitussin AC)
- Lomotil
- Motofen
- Lyrica
- Parepectolin
