The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed new guidelines for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth. The medication buprenorphine (commonly known by the brand name Suboxone) is a controlled substance that is FDA- approved to treat opioid use disorder and is often included as part of a treatment plan.

Note that individuals who receive prescriptions for medications that are not controlled substances (like acamprosate or naltrexone) or who participate in counseling as part of their treatment plan from Workit Health will not be affected by these changing guidelines.

During the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the government adjusted the requirements for prescribing controlled substances through telemedicine. Those changes allowed people to receive prescriptions for medications like buprenorphine via a virtual visit, without seeing a provider in-person.

This removed barriers and made it easier than ever for people struggling with opioid addiction to begin care from home. As the COVID-19 PHE came to an end, the requirements that had been adjusted were set to return to their pre-COVID state. However, the DEA has proposed new rules for prescribing buprenorphine and other controlled medications via telemedicine.

The DEA’s proposed guidelines include one in-person visit or in-person referral in order to receive a prescription for buprenorphine (or other controlled substances) via telemedicine.

These proposed changes resulted in an outcry from medical organizations, government leaders, telehealth providers, and people in recovery. Before the new guidelines could go into effect, the DEA Administrator released a statement extending current flexibilities as they find a way forward.

Workit Health is currently providing care to members in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas. Because the DEA has extended current flexibilities for the next six months, Workit Health is able to continue providing access to controlled substance medications like buprenorphine without an in-person visit. When those six months are up, the current guidelines would require new members to have an in-person appointment. But members who are already receiving telemedicine treatment for opioid use disorder would have an additional 12 months before they must attend an in-person appointment. Our team is watching the regulatory landscape closely, and we will continue to keep members updated about changes that may affect them.

Workit Health also adjusted our regional footprint, allowing us to focus on preparing our Workit Health clinic locations in the states where most of our members live. We’re dedicated to ensuring our members in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas are able to receive safe and effective care.

You aren’t alone in this feeling—the inconvenience of traditional addiction care was what led our founders to create Workit Health in the first place. Allowing virtual access to buprenorphine treatment has been life-saving for many of our members.

Other telemedicine programs, medical organizations, and people in recovery themselves have all spoken up about how impactful telehealth care is for opioid use disorder. The DEA has stated that they’re taking this feedback seriously as they consider a path forward.

If the DEA does implement its proposed regulations, which require an in-person visit, current Workit members will have until November 2024 to be seen either in person at a Workit Health clinic, or in person by a referring provider. Again, this requirement has not gone into effect, and if it does, current members will have a period of time in which to arrange their in-person visit.

We understand how challenging taking the first step toward quitting drugs or alcohol can feel. Telehealth treatment makes it easy to talk to a nonjudgmental expert from the privacy of home.

Workit Health’s program is 100% virtual, with no in-person visits required. It includes video appointments with a dedicated clinician, online recovery groups, and interactive courses to help you learn about recovery. Don’t let potential changes in the future stop you from accessing this convenient care today.

Buprenorphine is FDA-approved to treat opioid use disorder and is proven to be safe and effective. The DEA may be concerned about inappropriate prescribing by providers (e.g., pill mills) or diversion among patients, which means distributing medications illegally. However, there isn’t research to date that suggests that receiving buprenorphine through telemedicine is less safe than receiving buprenorphine through in-person visits, in terms of inappropriate prescribing or diversion. In fact, a DEA senior policy advisor recently remarked that the DEA had not seen an increase in diversion or misuse of buprenorphine during the pandemic. In our own research, and in other peer-reviewed studies, telehealth treatment for opioid use disorder has also been proven to be as effective, or more effective, than in-person care, and multiple studies have shown that telemedicine prescribing of buprenorphine during the COVID-19 pandemic led to improved treatment outcomes including reduced risk of opioid overdose.

This change would only affect controlled substances like buprenorphine. Individuals who receive prescriptions for non-controlled substances (like acamprosate or naltrexone) or who participate in counseling as part of their treatment plan from Workit Health will not be affected or need to be seen in person.