DEA's Proposed Rules on Controlled Substances Prescribing via Telemedicine and Their Uncertain Impact on the Pharmacy Community

Health policy and government relations principal Megan Herber, health care counsel Jonathan Keller, PharmD, and associate Larissa Morgan coauthored an article for Pharmacy Times about the impact of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) two proposed rules on controlled substance prescribing through telemedicine. The rules are intended to be finalized and go into effect at end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, which expires on May 11, 2023.

Herber, Keller and Morgan provide an overview of the two rules and how they would affect telemedicine prescribing, including documentation, recordkeeping and in-person evaluation requirements, and an abbreviated timeline for telehealth providers. The authors also outline concerns regarding the rules from pharmacy stakeholders, such as the lack of clarity regarding pharmacists’ duties and the potential loophole to the “initial dispensing” restriction.