On January 17, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced a proposed rule to establish a special registration framework for prescribing controlled substance medications via telemedicine in the post-COVID era (the 2025 Proposed Rule). The DEA had, in an earlier proposed rule from March 2023 (the 2023 Proposed Rule), rejected the same framework as too burdensome for both prospective telemedicine providers and patients.
In its simplest form, the 2025 Proposed Rule seeks to impose separate special registrations with highlighted regulations on both clinician and platform practitioners who prescribe or dispense Schedule II-V narcotic and non-narcotic controlled substances via telemedicine without an in-person medical evaluation. The rule is complex, more restrictive than the telemedicine flexibilities allowed during the COVID-19 era, and, more importantly, presents a significant departure from the regulations put forth in the 2023 Proposed Rule.
Considering the uncertainty surrounding the priorities and perspectives of the Trump administration regarding telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances, it remains unclear whether the 2025 Proposed Rule will be finalized as-is or if a different overhaul is forthcoming.Continue Reading What Does DEA’s Proposed Special Registration Framework for Tele-prescribing Controlled Substances Mean?