On February 24, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released its new proposed rules for telemedicine and controlled medications. After May 10, 2023, the way controlled substances are prescribed will change.
Existing patients who are prescribed a controlled substance before May 10, 2023: The DEA will require a qualified referral on file before November 7, 2023 to continue treatment with controlled medications via telehealth.
New patients who need controlled substance prescriptions after May 10, 2023: The DEA will require patients who plan to use telemedicine services to manage their prescription to have a qualified referral on file before starting treatment.
A qualified referral is a referral that comes from a provider that sees you, it can be your primary care physician or your local provider. By submitting this form, they can request that you can manage your controlled substance prescriptions via telehealth. Depending on the state, this form should be submitted every few months, and will require an in-person physical examination as well.
If your doctor has questions, you can direct them to our post-pandemic telehealth care page for providers.
Following these steps will ensure we can continue supporting you with your medication prescription uninterruptedly in the future.
TELEMEDICINE REFERRAL (pdf)
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