The Drug Enforcement Administration has submitted a final rule on telehealth prescribing of controlled substances to the White House for regulatory review.
The DEA filed the rule Aug. 25 and listed it as “economically significant,” an Office of Management and Budget designation reserved for regulations expected to have an annual economic impact of at least $100 million.
The rule would establish a long-promised special registration pathway allowing DEA-registered practitioners to prescribe controlled substances, including medications for opioid use disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, via telemedicine. It follows a proposed version of the rule that drew more than 6,400 public comments and would replace a series of temporary extensions the DEA has issued since pandemic-era flexibilities suspended the in-person visit requirement for such prescriptions. The agency’s latest extension of those temporary flexibilities runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
The final rule’s path through White House review will determine whether health systems and telehealth providers get permanent clarity on remote prescribing of controlled substances after over six years of stopgap extensions.
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