Final answer:
Hospitals are required to assign unique identifier codes to practitioners authorized to use their DEA number, ensuring proper tracking and accountability for the prescription and dispensation of controlled substances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hospitals must assign a specific identifier code for each practitioner authorized to use the hospital's DEA number. The purpose of these codes is to track which healthcare provider has prescribed or dispensed medications under the facility's DEA registration. As a regulatory compliance measure, these unique identifiers allow for accountability and proper record-keeping of controlled substances, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access and that their use is documented properly within the hospital's controlled substances inventory and dispensing logs.