ATA and 200 organizations request from DEA a revised proposed rule on controlled substance teleprescribing–stat. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA), in a 2 April letter (PDF link) with over 200 signatories, requests that the DEA quickly issue a revised proposed rule for industry comment.
Last October, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) extended for the second time pandemic flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances through 2024. The proposed rule issued in May had 38,000 comments, which overwhelmed DEA and HHS. The two agencies were unable to come up with a revised proposed rule by end of year and punted to 2024. The final rule is scheduled to be issued by this fall.
The 2 April letter advocates continuing many of the pandemic flexibilities due to care shortages and disruptions to patient care. If DEA were to create a special registration process for telehealth prescribers as many have proposed, transitioning and training would be needed to minimize disruptions in care to providers and patients in time for the new rule to take effect in 2025.
The controversy is around permitting and regulating the prescribing of controlled substances through telehealth. The pandemic rules suspended the Ryan-Haight Act restrictions that required in-person evaluations/visits prior to prescribing. Legally, that cannot continue. The extension of pandemic flexibilities permitted clinicians to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled medications via audio-video telemedicine encounters, including Schedule III–V narcotic controlled medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for maintenance and withdrawal management treatment of opioid use disorder. ATA release HealthcareDive 4 April
ATA is also resuming an in-person spring conference, Nexus 2024, 5-7 May, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona. It will have 300 speakers on 30+ topics. The meeting is being pitched to primarily care delivery and provider organizations. An overview of the conference is in the ATA release. More content information here (PDF link). Online registration (attendee and exhibitor) or email AmericanTelemedicine@xpressreg.net
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