Legal status information, not medical advice. Do not start, stop or change a medicine because of this page: ask your prescriber or pharmacist. In an emergency call 911 (US) or 999 (UK). Full notice
Is it a controlled substance?
The US federal schedule and the UK class of 18 common medicines, side by side, copied from the official lists, with what each drug's FDA-approved label says about it.
| Medicine | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| AlprazolamXanax | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 4 Part 1 |
| AmphetamineAdderall | Schedule II | Class B, Schedule 2 |
| BuprenorphineSuboxone (with naloxone) | Schedule III | Class C, Schedule 3 |
| ClonazepamKlonopin | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 4 Part 1 |
| CyclobenzaprineFlexeril | Not a federally | Not listed |
| DiazepamValium | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 4 Part 1 |
| FentanylDuragesic, Sublimaze | Schedule II | Class A, Schedule 2 |
| GabapentinNeurontin | Not a federally | Class C, Schedule 3 |
| Hydroxyzine | Not a federally | Not listed |
| KetamineKetalar | Schedule III | Class B, Schedule 2 |
| LisdexamfetamineVyvanse | Schedule II | Class B, Schedule 2 |
| LorazepamAtivan | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 4 Part 1 |
| PhentermineAdipex-P | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 3 |
| PregabalinLyrica | Schedule V | Class C, Schedule 3 |
| TestosteroneDepo-Testosterone | Schedule III | Class C, Schedule 4 Part 2 |
| TramadolUltram | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 3 |
| Trazodone | Not a federally | Not listed |
| ZolpidemAmbien | Schedule IV | Class C, Schedule 4 Part 1 |
Guides to the lists
- What is a controlled substance?
- A controlled substance is a drug listed in Schedules I to V of the US Controlled Substances Act. See who decides, state vs federal law and the UK system.
- Drug schedules explained: Schedules I to V
- What the five DEA drug schedules mean, with criteria from 21 U.S.C. 812, examples from the DEA list, refill rules, and schedule 1 vs schedule 2.
- UK drug classes: Class A, B and C controlled drugs
- What Class A, B and C mean under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, with examples, gov.uk maximum penalties, Regulations schedules 1-5 and what class ketamine is.
- What is a narcotic?
- What is a narcotic? US law defines it as opium, opiates and their derivatives, plus coca leaves and cocaine. See which drugs carry the DEA narcotic flag.
- What is an opioid?
- What is an opioid? A class of natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic drugs that act at opioid receptors. See which common drugs are opioids and which are not.
- What is a benzo?
- What is a benzo? Short for benzodiazepine, a class that includes Valium, Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan. See which look-alikes, like Ambien, are not benzos.
How to read the two marks
The amber mark is the one US law asks drug makers to print on the label of every controlled substance: a C with the schedule number in Roman numerals. 21 CFR 1302.03 sets the symbols, from CI or C-I for Schedule I to CV or C-V for Schedule V. Schedule I is for substances with no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Schedules II to V are for substances with a currently accepted medical use, ordered from higher to lower potential for abuse (21 U.S.C. 812(b)). A dashed circle means the drug is not on the federal list. The guide to the five DEA schedules explains each one.
The green mark is the UK status. The large letter is the class under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (A, B or C), which sets the penalties for unlawful possession and supply. The number is the schedule under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (1 to 5), which sets the rules for prescribing, storage and records. A dashed box means the drug does not appear on the Home Office list of commonly encountered controlled drugs. See the guide to UK classes and schedules.
Where each answer comes from
Every status in the table is copied from two official documents: the DEA's "Controlled Substances - Alphabetical Order", dated August 27, 2026, and the Home Office's "List of most commonly encountered drugs currently controlled under the misuse of drugs legislation", updated April 1, 2025. Each drug page also quotes the controlled-substance statement from an FDA-approved label published on DailyMed, the National Library of Medicine's label database, and names the label it comes from. A script reads those files and builds the status boxes, so nobody retypes a schedule by hand. The method page lists the files and the dates.
What this table does not tell you
It shows federal and national law only. US states can add drugs that are not federally controlled to their own schedules, as Virginia does with gabapentin. It does not say whether a medicine is right for you, how to take it, or whether it is safe with your other medicines: those are questions for your prescriber or pharmacist. If you are worried about someone's use of a medicine, the opioid guide lists the official help lines.
Questions readers ask
What does C-IV on a medicine label mean?
It is the symbol federal rules require on the label of a controlled substance in Schedule IV. 21 CFR 1302.03 lists the symbols CI or C-I through CV or C-V for Schedules I to V. Xanax, Ambien and tramadol are examples of Schedule IV drugs.
Is a medicine that is not on the DEA list completely unrestricted?
No. It can still be prescription-only under FDA rules, and states can add their own controls or monitoring. Gabapentin is an example: it is not on the federal list, but Virginia lists it in its own state Schedule V (Code of Virginia section 54.1-3454). Your state board of pharmacy is the authority.
Why can the US and UK status of the same drug differ?
The two countries use different laws and different lists. The US Controlled Substances Act sorts drugs into Schedules I to V; the UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 sorts them into Classes A, B and C, and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 add Schedules 1 to 5 for prescribing and record-keeping. Gabapentin is not federally controlled in the US but is Class C, Schedule 3 in the UK.
How often is this table checked?
The table was checked on October 6, 2026 against the DEA list dated August 27, 2026 and the Home Office list updated April 1, 2025. Scheduling changes are published in the Federal Register in the US and on legislation.gov.uk in the UK; each page shows its own update date.
Sources
- DEA Diversion Control Division, Controlled Substances - Alphabetical Order (list dated Aug 27, 2026), accessed October 6, 2026
- Home Office, List of most commonly encountered drugs currently controlled under the misuse of drugs legislation (updated April 1, 2025), accessed October 6, 2026
- eCFR, 21 CFR 1302.03, Symbol required; exceptions, accessed October 6, 2026
- DailyMed, National Library of Medicine, accessed October 6, 2026