AHA urges DEA and HHS to extend waivers of in-person requirements prior to virtual prescribing of controlled substances

The AHA Oct. 4 urged the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Health and Human Services to extend telehealth flexibilities an additional two years, which would waive the in-person visit requirement prior to the prescribing of controlled substances virtually. The flexibilities were granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency and are set to expire at the end of the year. The AHA urged the DEA to grant the two-year extension and during that time establish a permanent pathway through a special registration process to make the flexibilities permanent, saying that the lack of a permanent rule would "have a profoundly negative impact on the broad range of patients who are reliant on these flexibilities to continue to receive medically necessary prescription medication."