WV AG Patrick Morrisey demands answers on why DEA database isn't public anymore

West Virginia GOP Attorney General Patrick Morrisey this week demanded answers from the Drug Enforcement Administration on why the Controlled Substances Act Registration Information Database is no longer available to the public.

“This database was part of the DEA’s response to some serious issues brought to light in a bombshell report conducted by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General in 2019,” Morrisey said in a Thursday release. "Regrettably, the DEA and Department of Commerce have moved the database so that it is behind a firewall. Access is granted by the DEA and is approved 'on a case-by-case basis'"

According to a letter that Morrisey wrote to the DEA, the Controlled Substances Act Registration Information Database was a good tool for pharmacies to use in order to check a provider’s registration status before distributing opioids.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported in 2022 that overdoses in West Virginia almost tripled, with 85% of them being linked to controlled substances, which include opioids. 

Morrisey alleged in his letter that, while the database used to be available to anyone, it is now limited so average persons cannot access it.

“I urge the DEA and Department of Commerce to reconsider their new database policies and take immediate action to address these concerns,” Morrisey said.  “I’m advocating for better public access to DEA data that was previously available.”