The telephone triage nurse receives a call from a patient asking for a prescription for a narcotic to manage his surgical pain.The nurse explains that narcotic prescriptions must be written and cannot be called in to the pharmacy.The patient says, “Why are narcotics so difficult to get a prescription for?” What is the nurse’s best response?

The increase in the number of drug addicts has made the rules stricter.

Controlled substances like narcotics are regulated by the FDA and the DEA.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulates the use of controlled substances to reduce the risk of injury.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) determines the risk for addiction, and the Food and Drug Administration enforces this control.