Texas Dangerous Drugs List
Texas law defines "dangerous drugs" as medications requiring a prescription that are not controlled substances under Schedules I-V of the Texas Controlled Substances Act. This includes most prescription medications that fall outside the controlled substance classification system 1.
Key Categories of Dangerous Drugs in Texas
Non-Controlled Prescription Medications
- Antibiotics, antihypertensives, and most prescription medications that do not have abuse potential fall under the dangerous drugs category in Texas law 1
- These are distinguished from controlled substances, which include opioids like morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl (Schedule II), as well as hydrocodone combination products (Schedule III) 1
Distinction from Controlled Substances
The Texas dangerous drugs classification specifically excludes medications already regulated as controlled substances 1:
- Schedule II opioids: morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl, methadone 1
- Schedule III opioids: hydrocodone combinations with acetaminophen (≤15 mg), codeine combinations 1
- Other controlled substances: benzodiazepines, stimulants, and other drugs with recognized abuse potential 1
Clinical Context
Opioid Prescribing in Texas
- Texas dispensed approximately 17.7 million opioid prescriptions annually between 2013-2017, representing 63.7 prescriptions per 100 persons 2
- Hydrocodone was the most prescribed opioid (32.9%), followed by tramadol (26.9%) and codeine (21.5%) 2
- Prescribing rates have decreased, with a 9% annual decline from 252 million prescriptions nationally in 2013 to 196 million in 2017 3
Important Regulatory Notes
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) mandated 25% reduction in opioid production in 2017 and 20% in 2018 3
- Despite decreased prescribing, overdose deaths in Texas increased 42% during 2013-2017, with population-adjusted rates rising 34% to 5.87 deaths per 100,000 persons 2
- This suggests that changing prescribing behavior alone is insufficient to address the opioid crisis, as illicit fentanyl and heroin contribute significantly to overdose deaths 2, 4, 3
Common Pitfalls
Do not confuse "dangerous drugs" with "controlled substances" - Texas law uses "dangerous drugs" to refer to prescription medications that are NOT controlled substances, which is counterintuitive to common usage 1. Controlled substances like opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants are regulated separately under Schedules I-V 1.