DEA Extends Telemedicine Prescribing Flexibilities Through 2026
Just before the clock struck midnight on the New Year, the DEA issued a long-awaited formal statement clarifying the federal rules for prescribing controlled substances through telemedicine in the coming year. Since May 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has repeatedly extended the COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances, which had been set to expire at the end of the federal COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE). The flexibilities affected an important requirement of The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which requires prescribers to conduct an in-person examination (i.e. in a medical office) to evaluate each...
This case study was put together by our partners at CRICO and was written by Jennifer Vuu Sanchez, CRICO A 13-year-old who underwent an exam via telemedicine for a finger abscess later required amputation. Key Lessons A thorough assessment is needed prior to making recommendations for the plan of care. Convert to an in-person visit when technical problems or the need for a physical assessment compromise a virtual visit. Ensure that the patient (and family) understands and can repeat back your discharge instructions. Clinical Sequence Day 1: A 13-year-old female with a history of chronic dermatitis presented to urgent care...
DEA Extends Covid-19 Telehealth Prescribing Flexibilities for Another Year.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in concert with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a third extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications, through December 31, 2025. A DEA-registered practitioner can prescribe a schedule II-V controlled substance to a patient using telemedicine without the need for an in-person medical evaluation, as long as the prescription(s) are for a legitimate medical need, and within the course and scope of the prescriber’s medical practice. As you may recall, the DEA extended the COVID flexibilities through 2024 while it worked on a revised set of rules, which were to...
DEA Likely to Further Extend Flexibilities on Controlled Substances and Telehealth Prescribing Beyond 2024
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provision of medical care through telehealth increased by 154%, and much of that increase occurred in behavioral health. This trend, combined with COVID risk mitigation strategies and temporary flexibilities in licensure and regulatory requirements, resulted in substantial growth in virtual-only medical practices. In the field of behavioral health, temporary flexibilities allowing telehealth-only prescribing of controlled substances has allowed these practices to flourish by allowing them to treat a full spectrum of conditions through remote-only care. However, as the COVID pandemic ended, an important question arose as to whether telehealth-only prescribing of...
Update on Controlled Substances and Telehealth Prescribing
On June 14th the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) submitted their long-awaited final rule for telehealth prescribing of controlled substances to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a final rule before publication. The rules are expected to be published sometime prior to December 2024. As previously reported, in May 2023 the DEA had temporarily extended the COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances. By way of background, The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 requires prescribers to conduct an in-person examination to evaluate each new patient at least once before prescribing a controlled substance. After...