Schedule 3 Drugs : What are They?

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Drug scheduling is a way for the DEA to classify drugs by their risk of being abused as well as their accepted medical uses. The abuse rate is critical in determining the drug’s scheduling, its dependency potential, and its medicinal value. There are five drug scheduling classes, schedule III drugs fall in the middle of these classifications.

What are the Criteria for Schedule III Drugs?

There are different criteria for each drug classification, and a drug may put into one based on different reasons. According to the DEA, here are the criteria for schedule III drugs:

Schedule 3 drugs are less dangerous than Schedule 2, but still carry the risk for abuse.

• The drug or other substance has less potential for abuse than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II.
• The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
• Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.

All these criteria are important when listing a drug as a schedule III substance. The abuse potential must be low, but not so low that there is no potential at all. The drug must also have accepted medical usage and must be prescribed for that use. Dependence can be possible as are withdrawal symptoms, but they should be moderate and not life-threatening.

What are the Drugs that Fall Under the Schedule III Category?

Many drugs fall under Schedule III. Regulations are still required to ensure their safe usage, but they are not as dangerous as schedule I drugs which have “no currently accepted medical usage in the United States” or even schedule II drugs, which have a higher potential for abuse.

Some drugs that fall into the schedule III category are:

• Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone combinations (treat moderate-to-severe pain)
  • Alor
  • Anexsia
  • Bancap
  • Ceta-Plus
  • Co-Gesic
  • Damason
  • Duocet
  • Hy-phen
  • Lorcet
  • Lortab
  • Norco
  • Panacet
  • Panasal
  • Stagesic
  • Zydone
• Hydrocodone and ibuprofen
  • Vicoprofen
• Codeine combinations (treats moderate to severe pain)
  • Empirin with Codeine
  • Tylenol with Codeine
  • Florinal with Codine
• Ketamine (used before surgery to cause loss of consciousness)
  • Ketaset
  • Ketalar
• Testolactone (treats breast cancer)
  • Teolit
  • Teslac
• Butabarbital (treats insomnia)
• Benzphetamine (weight loss drug)
  • Didrex
  • Recede
• Opium
  • Paregoric
• Thiopental (barbiturate anesthetic)
  • Pentothal

The drugs listed above are all classified under schedule III. Although they are not as dangerous as schedule II drugs and have a medical purpose that schedule I drugs lack, a person should still be careful when taking them. Instructions for properly taking schedule III drugs are:

• Do not take them more often or in higher doses than prescribed.
• Do not sell them to other individuals to whom they are not prescribed.
• Talk to your doctor about all possible side effects and proper usage of the drug before taking it.
• If you experience problematic or uncomfortable side effects from these medications, talk to your doctor immediately.

Understanding the Drug Schedules Classifications

In 1970 the US government came up with a system of classifying drugs based on things like their potential to cause harm.

Even though the drugs above have medicinal uses, they can still be abused and cause dependence and other side effects.

If you abuse schedule III drugs, call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) now to find a treatment program that can help you recover. 

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