The Biden administration is implementing new requirements for patients to see a doctor in person before receiving medications for attention deficit disorder or addictive painkillers. This proposal aims to increase restrictions on access to drugs that have the potential to be abused, such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Adderall, and Ritalin.
During the pandemic, millions of Americans have relied on telehealth appointments for doctor’s visits, but the DEA will reinstate previous requirements for powerful drugs that were waived due to COVID-19. Patients may still receive refills through telehealth appointments, but an initial prescription will require an in-person visit.
The DEA is also tightening regulations for other less addictive drugs, including codeine, Xanax, Ambien, and buprenorphine, that can be prescribed over telehealth for a 30-day dose. Patients will need to see a doctor at least once in person to receive a refill. However, common prescriptions like antibiotics, skin creams, birth control, and insulin can still be prescribed through telehealth.
The new rule aims to balance safety with expanded access to telehealth, which is crucial for patients in rural areas. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram calls this approach the “expansion of telemedicine with guardrails.” While the ease of accessing certain medications during the pandemic has helped many people get needed treatment, there are concerns that some companies may be overprescribing medications to people who do not need them.
The proposed rules could harm the booming telehealth industry, with some tech startups providing mental health or attention deficit disorder medications. Some national retailers have also stopped filling drug orders generated by some telehealth apps over the past year. The DEA is concerned that some of these telehealth companies are improperly prescribing addictive substances, putting patients in danger.
U.S. overdose deaths hit a record in 2021, with about three-quarters of those related to opioids. The proposed rules could be in place before the COVID-19 public health emergency expires on May 11, ending the loosened rules. Patients seeking treatment from a doctor who is hundreds of miles away may need to develop plans for in-person visits with their doctors now.
Patients will have six months to visit their doctor in person once the regulation is enacted. Many states have already restored limitations for telehealth care across state lines, with nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., ending emergency declarations that made it easier for doctors to see patients in other states by October.
»DEA to stop telehealth prescription of attention deficit disorder medication«
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