The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a temporary rule, effective May 11, that extends telemedicine flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for controlled medicines.
The set of telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled medications that were in place during the COVID-19 PHE will remain in place through November 11, 2023. Additionally, for any practitioner-patient telemedicine relationships that have been or will be established on or before November 11, 2023, the full set of telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled medications that were in place during the COVID-19 PHE will continue to be permitted via a one-year grace period through November 11, 2024. In other words, if a patient and a practitioner have established a telemedicine relationship on or before November 11, 2023, the same telemedicine flexibilities that have governed the relationship to that point are permitted until November 11, 2024.
In part, DEA recognized the purpose for this temporary extension was to address the urgent public health need for continued access to the initiation of buprenorphine as medication for opioid use disorder. For NCPA’s comments to DEA submitted in March, including NCPA’s support for ongoing access to buprenorphine, click here.
