Telehealth Flexibilities Extended to Dec 31, 2024

[FlowRate]

"The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued the “Second Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications,” which extends exceptions to existing DEA regulations related to establishing new practitioner-patient relationships through December 31, 2024.

This extension authorizes all DEA-registered practitioners to prescribe schedule II-V controlled medications via telemedicine through December 31, 2024... The DEA announced it expects to release a final rule by the Fall of 2024."

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[FlowRate]

We did a lot of work trying to get ahead of the former proposed rules creating registries of patients who would need to be seen in-person and starting to outreach patients to see us. I think it was prudent even if, honestly, this is the outcome I was expecting.

 

[clausewitz2]

We did a lot of work trying to get ahead of the former proposed rules creating registries of patients who would need to be seen in-person and starting to outreach patients to see us. I think it was prudent even if, honestly, this is the outcome I was expecting.

I had just stopped scheduling new appointments after November 11th but the fact that we were getting nothing rules wise this close in made me also suspect this is what was going to happen. I don't think this is a genie they are going to be able to stuff back in the bottle.

 

[allantois]

The DEA seems incapable of doing anything other than kicking the can down the road

 

[psychemdoc]

The DEA seems incapable of doing anything other than kicking the can down the road

Politicians and bureaucrats seem incapable of doing anything other than kicking the can down the road. FTFY

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

I'm pretty satisfied with this tbh. As far as I can tell, most of those large telehealth platforms that were heavily abusing this to be pill mills have either shut down or changed their business model. I'm certainly not seeing done. or Cerebral or any of the other ones advertising the way they were before.

While I agree that this is kicking the can down the road, it does seem they're kicking it in the direction of actually making the policy at some point rather than giving us wildly changing policies every month while they try to figure it out. It's also not directly harming my small practice, which is rare for a large policy.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Really disgusted by this. Terrible decisions all around.

 

[littlefred]

Ryan Haight Act flushed down the toilet due to big pharma and med startups.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I'm pretty satisfied with this tbh. As far as I can tell, most of those large telehealth platforms that were heavily abusing this to be pill mills have either shut down or changed their business model. I'm certainly not seeing done. or Cerebral or any of the other ones advertising the way they were before.

While I agree that this is kicking the can down the road, it does seem they're kicking it in the direction of actually making the policy at some point rather than giving us wildly changing policies every month while they try to figure it out. It's also not directly harming my small practice, which is rare for a large policy.

Really? Cause I get shipped to your door telemed oral ketamine ads literally every day on Reddit right now.

I think the couple big ones who were in the news have cleaned things up but there’s definitely smaller stimulant/ketamine/benzo mills. Also lets any NP with a pulse get licenses in 15 states, say they “specialize in ADHD” and start writing stimulant scripts all day. At least before this they were confined to their local market.

I also don’t see how this is “kicking the can towards making policy at some point”. What’s the indication they’re any closer to a real policy than before?

 

[littlefred]

Really? Cause I get shipped to your door telemed oral ketamine ads literally every day on Reddit right now.

I think the couple big ones who were in the news have cleaned things up but there’s definitely smaller stimulant/ketamine/benzo mills. Also lets any NP with a pulse get licenses in 15 states, say they “specialize in ADHD” and start writing stimulant scripts all day. At least before this they were confined to their local market.

I also don’t see how this is “kicking the can towards making policy at some point”. What’s the indication they’re any closer to a real policy than before?

They did a 2-day discussion with several providers to discuss the pros and cons. Big presence of online med startups during the talks.

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

They did a 2-day discussion with several providers to discuss the pros and cons. Big presence of online med startups during the talks.

Oh. Then I probably have to recant my prior statement.

 

[allantois]

I doubt it’s as easy anywhere else in the world to get an Rx for adderall, Xanax, suboxone and ketamine as it is in the US all while never leaving your house

 

[Stagg737]

I'm pretty satisfied with this tbh. As far as I can tell, most of those large telehealth platforms that were heavily abusing this to be pill mills have either shut down or changed their business model. I'm certainly not seeing done. or Cerebral or any of the other ones advertising the way they were before.

While I agree that this is kicking the can down the road, it does seem they're kicking it in the direction of actually making the policy at some point rather than giving us wildly changing policies every month while they try to figure it out. It's also not directly harming my small practice, which is rare for a large policy.

Unfortunately this isn’t really the case. I recently got a YouTube ad for a company doing online ADHD evals “without the hassle of seeing a psychiatrist”. If I can find the ad again I’ll post it.

Not the ad I got, but a new company (Done ADHD) run by 2 Stanford and UCLA MDs, take a “1 minute survey” then get evaluated. They also have an NFL player as a “brand ambassador”. I assume this is not the direction you were hoping for…

 

[Stagg737]

And oh look, now our friend AI is diagnosing ADHD online. At least their questions supposedly take 30-60 minutes to answer…