Last week, the Biden administration proposed new regulations on doctors' ability to prescribe certain medications via telehealth, a policy suggestion that the administration framed as necessary to combat the opioid epidemic and prevent unnecessary prescriptions of controlled drugs. However, the proposed change would also make obtaining necessary—even life-saving—drugs more difficult, especially for those living in rural areas.
During the early stages of the COVID pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) temporarily lifted restrictions on doctors' ability to write prescriptions for controlled drugs via telehealth. However, the agency is poised to bring telehealth under regulation again, bringing back strict limits on how and when doctors can prescribe certain drugs.
