Controlled substances like Adderall will be allowed to be prescribed online into 2024, a reversal of a previously announced position, U.S. government agencies said Tuesday.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, which regulates drugs that have the potential for abuse, had planned on curtailing access to these drugs through telehealth. Remote prescribing was made more available at the start of the covid-19 pandemic as a result of lockdowns. But after significant pushback, the agency changed its mind and decided to keep the existing policies in place for now.
“We recognize the importance of telemedicine in providing Americans with access to needed medications, and we have decided to extend the current flexibilities for six months while we work to find a way forward to give Americans that access with appropriate safeguards,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a press release Tuesday.
Health care providers can prescribe controlled substances online through November 11, 2023, according an advance copy of a rule posted online today. In addition, practitioners who establish relationships with patients on or prior to that date can continue to prescribe controlled substances for an additional year.