<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-06-12</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000891288</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>QUESTCOR PHARMACEUTICALS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>QSC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001170881</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SIGMA TAU INTERNATIONAL SA</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>
    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001092601</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SIGMA TAU FINANZIARIA SPA</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>
    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001164803</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CAVAZZA CLAUDIO</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>
    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001163608</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CAVAZZA PAOLO</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>
    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001168857</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DEFIANTE FARMACEUTICA LDA</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>
    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001232942</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>APTAFIN S P A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Common Stock, no par value per share</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2003-06-12</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <deemedExecutionDate>
            <value>2003-06-12</value>
        </deemedExecutionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionTimeliness>
            <value></value>
        </transactionTimeliness>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>10000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>1.15</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>D</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>16441375</value>
            </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </nonDerivativeSecurity>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Shares solely owned by Sigma-Tau International S.A. (f/k/a Sigma-Tau Finance Holding S.A.). Sigma-Tau Finanziaria S.p.A. owns 100% of the capital stock of Sigma-Tau International S.A. and 58% of the capital stock of Defiante Farmaceutica L.d.A. Sigma-Tau International S.A. owns 42% of the capital stock of Defiante Farmaceutica L.d.A. Claudio Cavazza owns, directly and indirectly, 60% of Sigma-Tau Finanziaria S.p.A. and Paolo Cavazza owns, directly and indirectly, 40% of Sigma-Tau Finanziaria S.p.A.  Paolo Cavazza also owns, directly and indirectly, 100% of Aptafin S.p.A.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Antonio Nicolai, Attorney-in-fact for Mauro Bove, Director, on behalf of Sigma-Tau International S.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Antonio Nicolai, Attorney-in-fact for Mario Artali, Managing Director, on behalf of Sigma-Tau Finanziari S.p.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Antonio Nicolai, Attorney-in-fact for Claudio Cavazza</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Antonio Nicolai, Attorney-in-fact for Paolo Cavazza</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Antonio Nicolai, Attorney-in-fact for Raffele Sanguigni, Director, on behalf of Defiante Farmaceutica L.D.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Antonio Nicolai, Attorney-in-fact for Piero Belletti, Managing Director, on behalf of Aptafin S.p.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

