The Drug Enforcement Administration and HHS have extended pandemic-era telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances through Dec. 31.
The extension allows DEA-registered practitioners to continue prescribing Schedule II through V controlled substances via audio-video telemedicine and Schedule III through V narcotic controlled medications to treat opioid use disorder via audio-only encounters without first conducting an in-person medical evaluation, according to a Dec. 31 news release.
The extension is intended to prevent in-person care backlogs, ensure continuity of care — particularly for rural and underserved patients — and allow “time to finalize and implement regulations that balance access to care with the necessary safeguards against drug diversion,” the agencies said.
On Jan. 17, 2025, the DEA and HHS published two final rules — “Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter” and “Continuity of Care via Telemedicine for Veterans Affairs Patients” — which took effect Dec. 31, 2025. These rules, along with the fourth temporary extension, established three distinct frameworks for telemedicine prescribing.
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