GLOSSARY · PRESCRIPTIONS
DEA telemedicine rules, when controlled drugs can be prescribed online.
DEA telemedicine rules are a set of federal regulations that decide when a provider may prescribe a controlled substance to a patient they have only seen by telehealth.
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What it means
The baseline is the Ryan Haight Act, which requires at least one in-person medical evaluation before a controlled substance is prescribed over the internet, with narrow exceptions. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the DEA and HHS waived that in-person requirement. The waiver has been extended several times, and the current extension runs through December 31, 2026.
Under the extension, a DEA-registered practitioner can prescribe Schedule II through V drugs by telemedicine without an in-person visit, as long as the visit is a real-time audio and video encounter in most cases and state law allows it. The DEA has also proposed a special registration that would give telemedicine prescribers a permanent path with its own registration and recordkeeping duties; the final rule is in federal review.
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Why it matters to a brand operator
Testosterone therapy, ADHD stimulants, some weight-loss drugs, ketamine, and buprenorphine are all controlled. A brand in one of those areas is building on a rule set with an end date. Its plans need a version that still works if the waiver ends, or if the special registration arrives with new requirements such as an in-person visit or extra registrations.
State law sits on top of the federal rules. Some states restrict controlled prescribing by telehealth more tightly than the DEA does, and many require a check of the state prescription drug monitoring program before a controlled prescription is written.
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How Tessic Health handles it
Controlled-substance coverage is included in every Tessic Health clinic. Prescriptions go out through DEA-compliant EPCS with two-factor signing, and state requirements such as PDMP checks are enforced inside the prescribing workflow.
See the published termsRELATED TERMS
Words that come up next.
EPCS
EPCS (electronic prescribing of controlled substances) is a DEA-regulated prescribing method that lets licensed prescribers send prescriptions for controlled drugs to a pharmacy electronically.
Synchronous visit
A synchronous visit is a telehealth appointment that happens in real time, with the patient and provider connected at the same moment by video or phone.
Patient-provider relationship
The patient-provider relationship is a legal relationship that begins when a licensed provider evaluates a patient, and it gives the provider a duty to treat that patient to the standard of care.