What information is required from a patient before dispensing controlled substances?

For dispensing controlled substances, it is essential to have specific patient information to ensure safety and proper identification. The correct answer highlights the importance of validating the identity of the patient through government-issued identification like a driver's license or the social security number.

This identification is critical as it helps in preventing drug abuse, diversion, and ensures adherence to legal regulations concerning the dispensing of controlled substances. By verifying this information, pharmacists can confirm that the patient is indeed the individual for whom the prescription is written, which mitigates the risk of errors and illegal transactions.

The other options, while they contain relevant information, do not encompass the critical regulatory requirements for the identification of patients receiving controlled substances. For instance, simply having the patient's name and address does not provide sufficient verification, nor does gathering medical history or allergies alone address the regulatory obligations regarding patient identification. Understanding patient demographics, including date of birth, is essential, but without the concrete data from identification like a driver's license or SSN, it does not fulfill the requirement of adequate identification for controlled substance dispensing.