72 Orgs Request Continued Virtual Access to Controlled Substances

Seventy-two organizations, including the American Telemedicine Association and American Psychiatric Association, have sent a letter to government agencies urging them to solidify continued access to controlled substances via telehealth by not requiring initial in-person visits.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the standard set by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was that a patient could only be prescribed controlled substances via telemedicine if an in-person visit had taken place beforehand.

As telemedicine increased and in-person visits dropped during the pandemic, the DEA temporarily waived this standard, allowing patients to access controlled medications through telemedicine.

This policy update had a significant impact on drug prescription. For example, the DEA allowing opioids to be prescribed through telemedicine as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened increased outreach, a study from March 2020 showed.

Further, in September 2020, Surescripts, an e-prescription company, reported increased numbers during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company, which provides direct messaging and prescription price transparency, reached 1 million prescribers during the pandemic.

In order to retain this ease of access, 72 different organizations send the letter to the DEA and HHS. The letter urges the agencies to allow access to controlled substances via telemedicine indefinitely.

Further, the in-person evaluation only results in reduced care access and does not provide the DEA with additional tools to limit drug diversion, the organizations argued.

“We urge policymakers to consider that, during the pandemic, telemedicine effectively increased access to necessary care for patients in their home or other location, without increased diversion related to the waiver. We welcome the opportunity to discuss a proposed framework to ensure Americans maintain access to clinically appropriate care,” said Kyle Zebley, vice president, public policy, American Telemedicine Association, and executive director, ATA Action, in the press release.

The letter requests that the DEA and HHS communicate with Congress to continue accessible telehealth practices, and to allow the virtual prescription of controlled substances.

Congress has received various requests to extend telehealth flexibilities following the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Congress received two letters in February, one from legislators and one from telehealth stakeholders. The letters acknowledged the increase in telehealth access for Medicare beneficiaries during the pandemic and asked for a continuation of the policies that made the increase possible.  

Similarly, 125 organizations sent a letter to Congress in January urging continued pre-deductible coverage for telehealth services for people with high-deductible health plans.