What is the primary characteristic of drugs in the CIII category?

Drugs classified in the CIII category are recognized for having an accepted medical use while carrying a low to moderate potential for abuse. This characteristic is crucial as it places these substances in a regulatory framework that allows for medical utilization, balancing therapeutic benefits against the risks of misuse.

The classification is part of the Controlled Substances Act, which establishes criteria for various categories based on potential for abuse, medical use, and safety. CIII drugs are subject to specific regulatory controls, such as prescription requirements, but their classification highlights that they can be successfully integrated into patient care, depending on clinical judgment.

The options reflecting very high potential for abuse or no medical use pertain to classifications for more dangerous substances, such as CII or CI drugs, indicating they are not accurate for CIII drugs. While CIII drugs are indeed only available through prescriptions, the defining characteristic that differentiates them is the combination of accepted medicinal use alongside their established potential for abuse, which is moderate rather than high.