| Customer verification | Must verify the buyer's license |
|---|---|
| Records to keep | 3 years |
| Separate device or DME distributor license | Yes |
What Louisiana requires before you ship
By law, distributors may sell legend drugs or devices only to a person allowed by law or regulation to buy or possess them. The Board's rule adds a paperwork step. The distributor must keep copies of current licenses for every customer it ships or sells to. If the license copies are kept off site, the licensed location must keep a list of each customer's name, address, license number, and license expiration date.
Who counts as an authorized buyer: A person or entity authorized by law or regulation to procure or possess legend drugs or legend devices, such as licensed pharmacies, practitioners, hospitals, and licensed distributors. The Board's newsletters list DEA registrations, Louisiana CDS licenses, and pharmacy, dental, and veterinary licenses as acceptable proof.
"Copies of current licenses for customers who are authorized by law or regulation to procure or possess drugs or devices shall be maintained" La. R.S. 37:3480; La. Admin. Code tit. 46, pt. XCI, § 311(E)
Records to keep
Distributors must keep perpetual inventories and records of every receipt and shipment, showing source, product, quantity, and dates. These must be available to the Board for 3 years after the product leaves. Financial and banking records tied to drug or device sales must be kept for at least 3 years. Wholesale distributors must keep DSCSA transaction information, history, and statements, and records of suspect and illegitimate product investigations, for at least 6 years. Distributors located in Louisiana may buy only from Board-licensed distributors.
Source: La. Admin. Code tit. 46, pt. XCI, §§ 311(A) to (C), 1305(C), 1311
Licenses a distributor needs in Louisiana
Prescription drug wholesale distributor
No one may engage in the business of distributing legend drugs or legend devices in or into Louisiana without a license from the Board of Drug and Device Distributors. This is a separate agency from the Board of Pharmacy. The Board issues standard distributor, wholesale distributor, and third-party logistics provider licenses. Each facility that sells or ships into Louisiana needs its own license, renewed each year by December 31. Fines run from $1,000 to $50,000.
Source: La. R.S. 37:3478; La. Admin. Code tit. 46, pt. XCI, § 301
Medical device and DME distributors
Louisiana licenses distributors of legend (prescription) devices as well as legend drugs, through the same Board of Drug and Device Distributors license. The same customer rules apply to devices. The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy separately issues permits to durable medical equipment (DME) providers. We did not review that DME rule.
Source: La. R.S. 37:3478, 37:3480; La. Admin. Code tit. 46, pt. XCI, § 301
Controlled substances
Anyone who makes, distributes, or possesses controlled dangerous substances in Louisiana, including third-party logistics providers, must hold a Louisiana controlled dangerous substance (CDS) license from the Board of Pharmacy before starting. Distributors must also give the Board of Pharmacy copies of their ARCOS reports and suspicious-order reports on request.
Source: La. R.S. 40:973(A)(1); La. R.S. 37:3481
Where to look up a Louisiana license
- Pharmacies and pharmacy permits: Louisiana Board of Pharmacy
- Physicians and other practitioners: Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
- NPI: NPPES NPI Registry
- DEA registrations: DEA Diversion Control Division
Federal rules that apply in every state
- A prescription device "is to be sold only to or on the prescription or other order of such practitioner," or to a business lawfully distributing it (21 CFR 801.109).
- A prescription drug wholesale distributor's trading partners "may be only authorized trading partners," which for a pharmacy means one licensed under state law (21 U.S.C. 360eee-1(c)(3)).
How WorkdID handles Louisiana accounts
WorkdID by Workd checks every Louisiana customer you sell to against the state's pharmacy and medical boards, the NPI registry, and the DEA, every day. It flags an expiration or a board action within a day of posting, and in Workd order entry it can hold the order until your compliance team clears the account. Every check is saved with the date and the board record, so your Louisiana file is ready when someone asks for it.
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