Communications

(Oct. 13, 2023) – On Oct. 6, the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced their agencies have extended the current telemedicine flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2024. The full text of the extension, entitled "Second Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications," was submitted to the Federal Register jointly with HHS on Sept. 29. This temporary extension is the second time regulators have prolonged the relaxed prescribing rules for schedule II – V controlled substances, including buprenorphine for opioid use disorder or stimulants for ADHD, allowing prescribers to continue to provide the drugs virtually without first conducting an in-person evaluation. According to the DEA, their agency received more than 38,000 comments on its proposed telemedicine rule and recently held two days of public listening sessions related to the proposed rules. The DEA is working to promulgate a final set of telemedicine regulations by the fall of 2024.
--Karen Braman