As urged by the AHA, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a temporary rule extending telehealth prescribing flexibilities for buprenorphine and other controlled substances through Nov. 11, 2024, while they develop final regulations “consistent with public health, safety, and effective controls against diversion.” Without the extension, these telehealth prescribing flexibilities were to end when the COVID-19 public health emergency expires on May 11. 

“The AHA appreciates the Administration listening to our concerns by extending COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities for prescriptions of controlled medications,” said Ashley Thompson, AHA’s senior vice president for public policy analysis and development. “These important flexibilities have made it possible for patients to get the care and critical medicines they need over the past three years and have also helped preserve provider capacity during ongoing workforce shortages. We will continue to work to increase health access for at-risk patients' while at the same time safeguarding the prescribing of controlled medications.”

Related News Articles

Headline
Senate, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) released an updated version of the…
News
The Drug Enforcement Administration will host public listening sessions Sept. 12-13 to receive additional input on whether to permit telemedicine prescribing…
Headline
AHA today voiced support for the Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S.1636/H.R. 3440), legislation that would make permanent several telehealth…
Headline
Hospitals may continue to bill through calendar year 2023 for certain outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology services,…
Headline
Telehealth Access for America, an AHA-supported campaign to protect patient access to critical telehealth services, urged Congress to make permanent certain…
Headline
HIPAA enforcement discretion implemented for the COVID-19 public health emergency will expire with the end of the PHE on May 11, but covered health care…