In a move that surprised basically no one, the DEA is extending pandemic-era telehealth prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances through the end of 2025.
The “Third Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications” was officially published on November 19th, ending a months-long stalemate among regulators.
The third time’s the charm (hopefully). The extension gives providers another year to prescribe Schedule II-V medications for conditions like ADHD and opioid addiction without first conducting in-person evaluations.
- The move maintains the status quo that’s been in place since COVID hit, while effectively punting the decision on formal legislation to the new White House.
- Both the DEA and the HHS will have fresh leadership, and it remains to be seen how the two agencies will work together to address the matter.
The policy hot potato just got passed to the Trump administration, so telehealth companies and patients will both have to prepare for another year of regulatory limbo.
- By failing to issue a final rule, the DEA at least gains time to revise its most recent draft rules that sparked nearly 40k comments worth of industry pushback.
- Those rules included requirements that half of a provider’s controlled substance prescriptions be written for patients seen in-person, and that every patient must be checked against drug monitoring programs in all 50 states.
It’s a classic tension in healthcare: balancing legitimate access against potential abuse.
- While the extension acknowledges the “urgent public health need” for access to addiction treatment meds like buprenorphine, the lack of legislation still leaves telehealth in a bucket of “stopgap measures” instead of “absolute necessities.”
- Punting the decision should also mean better guardrails can be developed to prevent abuse at a time when the founders of pandemic-era pill mills are either fleeing the country or forking over millions in fines.
The Takeaway
The telehealth prescribing can has been kicked down the road for another year, and the industry will now be watching to see whether the Trump administration decides to repeal it. It’s more likely than not that the extension will stick – this isn’t exactly a hot button issue like raw milk.
