More than 200 organizations call on DEA to continue to prescribe controlled substances remotely
More than 200 organizations have sent a letter urging him to take action to protect remotely prescribed controlled substances after the Senate recently confirmed Terry Cole as an administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
These organizations include the Connected Care Alliance, the American Telehealth Association, the American Psychiatry Association, Amazon, Bicycle Health, Teladoc, and more.
The flexibility of allowing controlled substances prescribed through telemedicine is in place during the 19th pandemic to expand access to care. After several extensions, flexibility will now expire at the end of the year.
As the deadline approaches, the organization in the letter urges the DEA to interact with experts and stakeholders to “continue to access telehealth while preventing transfers” policy. They also called for a plan in the fall that would “stop millions of Americans from losing treatment in December 2025.”
They point out that telemedicine is very beneficial for Americans, especially those in remote areas.
“For example, more than half of the U.S. population (169 million) lived in areas with shortages of mental health professionals (HPSA) as of December 2023, and wider telehealth opportunities are critical to creating new opportunities for care for these people,” they said. “Overbally broad restrictions will lead to serious consequences for many Americans who rely on telehealth to access health services.”
During Biden's administration, several policy changes were introduced regarding remote prescriptions for controlled substances, but they face strong opposition from the telemedicine industry.
For example, in the last few days of the Biden administration, the DEA released several new telehealth rules, including the creation of a special registration process that would allow clinicians to prescribe medications through telehealth access without in-person assessment. However, the rule has significant limitations that armed telehealth advocates, such as requiring doctors to be in the same state as patients when prescribing certain medications. Advocates previously told Medcity News that the rule interfered with clinicians' work and created obstacles for patients.
The organization added in the letter that the DEA should hold meetings or forums with experts in the field to develop long-term policies to dispose of controlled substances remotely.
They argue: “The efforts that have not fully attracted stakeholders and Congress in the past have had unexpected consequences, such as creating a huge new regulatory burden on the health care system.”
Photos: Elenabs, Getty Images
