DEA and HHS Push off new Telemedicine Prescribing Rules to end-of-year

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services will delay the effective date of two final rules that were expected to go into effect on Friday, March 21. By extending the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter and Continuity of Care via Telemedicine for Veterans Affairs Patients final rules – first promulgated Jan. 17 – to Dec. 31, the agencies can spend more time considering comments they have received. The two rules were scheduled to become final on Feb. 18, but following a Jan. 20 regulatory freeze by the new administration, the agencies initially delayed their effective dates by a month.