Recent regulatory actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlight heightened federal scrutiny of hospice providers in higher-risk states and continued uncertainty about the future regulation of controlled substance prescribing.
Health Law Scan
Legal Insights and Perspectives for the Healthcare Industry
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary rule on October 6, 2023 extending COVID-19–era flexibilities through December 31, 2024. With this extension, the DEA will continue to waive provisions under the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 that prohibit practitioners from prescribing controlled substances to patients without first conducting an in-person encounter.