<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-07-29</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>18 AVENUE DE LA PORTE NEUVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LUXEMBOURG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>N4</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>L-2227</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>LUXEMBOURG</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>VIA SUDAFRICA, 20</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROME</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>L6</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>00144</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>ITALY</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>RUA DOS FERREIROS, 260</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FUNCHAL MADEIRA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>S1</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>9000-082</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>PORTUGAL</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>VIA SUDAFRICA, 20</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROME</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>L6</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>00144</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>ITALY</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>VIA TESSERETE, 10</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LUGANO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>V8</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>SWITZERLAND</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>VIA QUIRINO MAJORANA NO. 171</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROME</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>L6</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>00152</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>ITALY</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>

        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, no par value per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-07-29</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate>
                <value>2003-07-29</value>
            </deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.8409</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>16431375</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>

    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <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>Maurizio Terenzi, Attorney-in-fact for Sigma-Tau International S.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Maurizio Terenzi, Attorney-in-fact for Sigma-Tau Finanziari S.p.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Maurizio Terenzi, Attorney-in-fact for Defiante Farmaceutica L.D.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Maurizio Terenzi, Attorney-in-fact for Claudio Cavazza</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Maurizio Terenzi, Attorney-in-fact for Paolo Cavazza</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Maurizio Terenzi, Attorney-in-fact for Aptafin S.p.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

