Proposed US DEA Rules Necessitate In-Person Visits For Certain Drugs Prescribed Via Telehealth

New rules proposed by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will require patients to have in-person visits when prescribing certain controlled drugs to patients who primarily receive care via telehealth. While many controlled drugs are targeted, the rules are an expansion to access for buprenorphine treatment for patients with opioid use disorder.

According to MHE Staff, “For these types of consultations, the proposed telemedicine rules would allow medical practitioners to prescribe a 30-day supply of Schedule III-V non-narcotic controlled medication and a 30-day supply of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder without an in-person evaluation or referral from a medical practitioner that has conducted an in-person evaluation, as long as the prescription is otherwise consistent with any applicable Federal and State laws.”

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(Source: Managed Healthcare Executive, February 28^th, 2023)