DEA News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host public listening sessions Sept. 12-13 to receive comments from healthcare practitioners, experts, advocates, patients and other members of the public to inform DEA’s regulations on prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine.

The listening sessions will be held in person and livestreamed with remote participation available.

WHERE: DEA Headquarters, 700 Army Navy Drive Arlington, Va. 22202

Beginning August 7, members of the public wishing to attend in person (space permitting) must register HERE by 11:59 p.m. Aug. 21.  DEA is accepting requests to make limited oral presentations during the public meeting. Persons wishing to give an oral presentation – in person or virtually – time permitting, must indicate the desire to present when requesting to register. Presentations will be limited to 10 minutes.

For more information, visit Federal Register : Practice of Telemedicine: Listening Sessions.

Background:

March 1, 2023, DEA, in concert with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRM) to allow for prescribing of certain controlled medications via telemedicine without an in-person medical evaluation of the patient under circumstances that are consistent with public health, safety, and effective controls against diversion. May 9, DEA and HHS announced the extension of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for an additional six months while considering the more than 38,000 comments from the public on the NPRMs.