ARCOS > Q&As

Who Reports to ARCOS?
What is Reported to ARCOS?
How many Manufacturers & Distributors report to ARCOS?
How Many Transactions are Reported Each Year?
Who Uses the System?
Reporting Frequency
ARCOS Registrants and Reporters
Single Reporter
Registered Central Reporter
Non-registered Central Reporter

Who Reports to ARCOS?

• Manufacturers and Distributors ONLY.

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What is Reported to ARCOS?

• Manufacturers of bulk and/or dosage form controlled substances must report inventories, acquisitions, and dispositions of all substances in Schedules I and II, and narcotic and Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) substances in Schedule III (see 21 CFR §1308 Schedule of Controlled Substances). Additionally, manufacturers must report synthesizing activities involving all substances in Schedules I and II, narcotic and Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) substances in Schedule III, and selected psychotropic controlled substances in Schedules III and IV (see 21 CFR § 1304.33 Reports to ARCOS).
   
• Distributors of bulk and/or dosage form controlled substances must report inventories, acquisitions, and dispositions of all substances in Schedules I and II, and narcotic and Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) substances in Schedule III.

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How many Manufacturers & Distributors report to ARCOS?

• About 1100 Distributors and Manufacturers report to ARCOS. These 1100 are just a small part of the over 1,000,000 registrants in Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Controlled Substances Act (CSA) data base.

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How Many Transactions are Reported Each Year?

• 30,000,000+ transactions are reported each year.

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Who Uses the System?

• DEA and other Federal, State and Local investigative agencies use information from ARCOS.

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Reporting Frequency

ARCOS registrants (participants) must report quarterly. However, participants may elect to report more frequently on a monthly basis. Those registrants wishing to change their reporting frequency must file a written request with the DEA (ARCOS) before submitting reports according to the new frequency. Requests for a change in reporting frequency must be submitted on company letterhead and may be sent by mail or fax to the ARCOS Unit at:

DEA Headquarters
Attn: ARCOS Unit
P.O. Box 2520
Springfield, VA 22152-2520
Fax: 202-307-8612

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ARCOS Registrants and Reporters

An ARCOS registrant is a manufacturer or distributor required to report controlled substance inventories and transactions to DEA. There are three types of ARCOS reporters: (1) single reporters, (2) registered central reporters, and (3) non-registered central reporters.

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Single Reporter

An ARCOS registrant reporting only its own controlled substance transactions and inventories to DEA (ARCOS) is a single reporter. If an ARCOS registrant is a subsidiary of a larger corporate entity and submits its own ARCOS reports, it must follow the instructions for a single reporter.

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Registered Central Reporter

A registered central reporter has a DEA registration as a manufacturer or distributor and reports controlled substance transactions and inventories for itself and other ARCOS registrants within its corporate structure.

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Non-registered Central Reporter

A non-registered central reporter neither manufactures nor distributes controlled substances, does not have a DEA registration, and does not have controlled substance transactions or inventories, but reports the controlled substance transactions and inventories of the ARCOS registrants within its corporate structure.

Note: The reporting frequency must be the same for a central reporter and all of its subsidiaries.