The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have jointly announced the extension of telehealth prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances until the end of 2024. This temporary extension represents the second time regulators have prolonged the relaxed prescribing regulations for medications such as those used for opioid use disorder and ADHD.
These flexibilities have allowed healthcare professionals to prescribe such medications via virtual consultations without the necessity of an in-person evaluation. The rule aims to ensure a seamless transition for patients and providers who have increasingly relied on telemedicine for controlled medication prescriptions. It also allows for adequate time for healthcare providers to align with new standards and safeguards.
The DEA is planning to draft new regulations by the fall of 2024.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DEA granted exceptions to the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which originally mandated at least one in-person evaluation before prescribing controlled substances. These flexibilities were initially set to expire in May, coinciding with the end of the COVID public health emergency. However, they were extended until November following more than 38,000 public comments expressing concerns about proposed rules that aimed to impose additional limitations on telehealth-controlled substance prescriptions.
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