A system and method of prescribing and conveying regulated pharmaceuticals. Prepackaged pharmaceuticals are kept in a vending machine. Upon the completion of a patient's diagnosis, a physician may prescribe a regulated pharmaceutical. The physician enters the prescription into a terminal. The prescription is read by a central processing unit that controls the vending machine. The central processing unit identifies the location of the pharmaceutical in the vending machine and awaits a proper vending code. Once a physician enters a prescription into the system, the physician hands the patient an electronic key card. The key card is encoded with the vending code needed to activate the vending machine. The patient carries the key card to the vending machine. If the code on the key card matches the prescription code previously entered by a physician, the vending machine vends the prepackaged pharmaceutical.