The Drug Enforcement Administration will extend COVID-19-era telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled medications through Dec. 31, 2026, delaying a return to pre-pandemic requirements that generally mandate an in-person medical visit.
Here are five things to know:
- In a temporary rule issued jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services, the DEA said DEA-registered practitioners may continue prescribing Schedule II through V controlled substances via telemedicine without first conducting an in-person medical evaluation.
- The rule takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. Without the extension, telemedicine prescribing flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 public health emergency were set to expire at the end of 2025 under the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act.
- Federal officials said the extension is intended to prevent a “telemedicine cliff,” which could abruptly limit patients’ access to care while the agency finalizes permanent rules governing remote prescribing of controlled substances.
- The telemedicine flexibilities were first introduced in March 2020 and have been extended multiple times since the public health emergency ended. The DEA said additional time is needed to complete rulemaking, including a proposed special registration framework for telemedicine providers that drew more than 6,400 public comments.
- The temporary rule was issued without prior public comment under a “good cause” exemption, which allows agencies to bypass standard rulemaking procedures when delays would be contrary to the public interest. The rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Dec. 31, 2025.
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