Second Temporary Extension of COVID–19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary rule extending the allowance for physicians and practitioners to prescribe controlled medications to new patients based on a relationship solely established through telemedicine (live video or telephone for buprenorphine) until December 31, 2024. The agency received more than 38,000 comments on its proposed telemedicine rules and recently held two days of public listening sessions related to those rules. The agency noted that it is working to promulgate a final set of telemedicine regulations by the fall of 2024, giving patients and medical practitioners time to plan for, and adapt to, the new rules once issued...