DA Form 3949, the Army’s Controlled Substance Record, is used inside military medical treatment facilities to log narcotics and other controlled drugs dispensed from the pharmacy to wards and clinics, and then administered to individual patients. It is a chain-of-custody document, not a form the average soldier ever fills out. If you landed here looking for the Promotion Point Worksheet, that form (formerly DA Form 3355) has been retired and moved into IPPS-A; a short pointer to that process appears at the end of this article.
What the Form Tracks
DA Form 3949 is the running log for controlled substances issued from a pharmacy to a specific ward or clinic. When pharmacy personnel dispense a narcotic or other scheduled drug, they record the transaction on the receiving ward’s copy of the form, noting the date, time, and that the entry reflects a pharmacy issue.1U.S. Army Eighth Army. AK Regulation 40-3 – Medical Controlled Substances and Precious Metals Each ward keeps its own form, so every dose can be traced from the pharmacy shelf to the patient who received it.
The entries capture the drug, the quantity, the patient, and the identity of the person issuing or administering the medication. That level of detail exists because federal and military rules treat controlled substances differently from routine medications: every pill, vial, and ampule has to be accounted for to prevent diversion, theft, or unauthorized use. The National Archives classifies DA Form 3949 under records reflecting narcotics and controlled drugs issued to patients in wards and clinics.2National Archives. Records Schedule for Department of the Army – Controlled Substance Record
Who Completes It
DA Form 3949 is completed by pharmacy personnel and ward staff. On the pharmacy side, the issuing pharmacist records the outgoing transaction. On the receiving side, nurses, medics, or other authorized providers document each administration to a patient. Both sides of the handoff generate entries, producing a two-party audit trail on a single record.
Because the form covers Schedule II through Schedule V drugs, everyone who signs it must be authorized to handle those substances under Army medical regulations and applicable federal drug-control laws. Falsifying entries carries real consequences. Under UCMJ Article 107, anyone who knowingly signs a false official record or makes a false official statement can be punished as a court-martial directs.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 907 – Art. 107. False Official Statements; False Swearing
The Regulations Behind the Form
Army Regulation 40-3 and its local supplements, including theater-specific regulations in overseas commands, govern how controlled substances are stored, dispensed, and tracked in Army medical facilities. DA Form 3949 sits at the ward level of that accountability chain. Higher-level inventories and inspections cross-reference these ward records against pharmacy dispensing logs to identify discrepancies.
When the numbers don’t match, the investigation usually starts with the entries on DA Form 3949. If a ward’s form shows five doses administered but the pharmacy log shows six dispensed, that gap is what auditors chase first. Accurate, timely entries are the point of the form; incomplete or inconsistent entries are the fastest way to trigger a review.
Where to Get a Blank Form
Blank copies of current Army forms are available through the Army Publishing Directorate website, though some forms require a Common Access Card (CAC) login to download.4Army Publishing Directorate. Army Publishing Directorate If DA Form 3949 is not publicly listed on the APD site, check with your facility’s pharmacy, which will have the current version in stock.
How Long Records Are Kept
Completed copies of DA Form 3949 are retained at the medical facility level for the period set in the Army’s records-disposition schedule. Because controlled substance records carry both legal and regulatory weight, they are not discarded on an ad hoc basis. Facilities keep them for a minimum retention period set by the National Archives and Records Administration in coordination with the Army’s records management program.
Retention can vary depending on the schedule of the drug involved and whether an investigation is pending. Ward supervisors should confirm the specific timeline with their facility’s Medical Logistics or Pharmacy office rather than assume a single number applies across all entries.
If You Were Looking for Promotion Points
DA Form 3949 has nothing to do with promotion points. The Promotion Point Worksheet used to be DA Form 3355, but the October 2023 revision of AR 600-8-19 deleted that form and moved the entire promotion-point process into the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army (IPPS-A).5U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 600-8-19 – Enlisted Promotions and Demotions There is no paper worksheet to fill out by hand.
To view, validate, or print your Promotion Point Worksheet, log in to IPPS-A and go to Self-Service, then OML/Promotion Points. The system shows your current totals across each category, and the “PPW Report” option produces a printable copy. This is available to enlisted members E-1 through E-5, whether or not you are currently boarded for promotion.6IPPS-A. IPPS-A Self-Service User Guide If something on your worksheet is wrong, start with your unit S-1.