A product containing 300 mg dihydrocodeinone (hydrocodone) per 100 mL, or 15 mg per dosage unit, with fourfold or greater isoquinoline alkaloid opium or non-narcotic ingredients, is scheduled as:

A product containing 300 mg dihydrocodeinone (hydrocodone) per 100 mL, or 15 mg per dosage unit, with fourfold or greater isoquinoline alkaloid opium or non-narcotic ingredients, is scheduled as:

• A. Schedule II
• B. Schedule III
• C. Schedule IV
• D. Schedule I

Answer: (B)

Scheduling depends on two things: how much hydrocodone is in each dosage unit and what other ingredients are in the product. When hydrocodone is combined with non-narcotic ingredients, the product is placed in a lower schedule than the pure drug, provided the per-dose amount stays within certain limits. here the product contains 15 mg of hydrocodone per dosage unit. That amount is the threshold commonly used for combo products to be placed in Schedule III rather than Schedule II. The presence of fourfold or greater isoquinoline alkaloids from opium or other non-narcotic ingredients further supports classifying the product as Schedule III. In short, the combination with significant non-narcotic/opium-derived ingredients plus the 15 mg per dose places it in Schedule III. If the hydrocodone per dose were higher or the qualifying ingredients weren’t present, it could be Schedule II; it would not be Schedule I (no medical use) or Schedule IV (lower potential for abuse) in this context.

Scheduling depends on two things: how much hydrocodone is in each dosage unit and what other ingredients are in the product. When hydrocodone is combined with non-narcotic ingredients, the product is placed in a lower schedule than the pure drug, provided the per-dose amount stays within certain limits.

here the product contains 15 mg of hydrocodone per dosage unit. That amount is the threshold commonly used for combo products to be placed in Schedule III rather than Schedule II. The presence of fourfold or greater isoquinoline alkaloids from opium or other non-narcotic ingredients further supports classifying the product as Schedule III. In short, the combination with significant non-narcotic/opium-derived ingredients plus the 15 mg per dose places it in Schedule III.

If the hydrocodone per dose were higher or the qualifying ingredients weren’t present, it could be Schedule II; it would not be Schedule I (no medical use) or Schedule IV (lower potential for abuse) in this context.