The proposed rules from the Drug Enforcement Agency would go back on previously relaxed rules allowing the prescription of medications through telehealth appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, federal regulators are aiming to tighten the regulatory framework as the national COVID-19 public health emergency is slated to end in May.
Under the proposed rules, prescriptions for “less-addictive” medications would still be able to be prescribed through telehealth, such as birth control and antibiotics. Prescriptions for other drugs, such as pain and sleep medications, can be prescribed through telehealth but would require an in-person evaluation before a refill, the report said.
Meanwhile, schedule II medications — a classification for the strongest prescription drugs — would require an in-person visit with a physician before a prescription can be written.
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