Personalized Health Association pushes DEA telemedicine prescribing rule to stay on schedule

The Personalized Health Association is pressing federal regulators to finalize a permanent telemedicine prescribing rule before temporary flexibilities expire Dec. 31, 2026. The group says the rule should preserve patient access, cut duplicate paperwork and match current care and pharmacy workflows.

Why it matters: - Temporary federal flexibilities that allow telemedicine prescribing of controlled medications are set to expire Dec. 31, 2026. - Patients with mental health, pain, sleep and addiction needs could lose a care option if the permanent rule is delayed or too burdensome. - PHA says the rule should protect access, affordability and continuity of care while still preventing diversion and misuse.

What happened: - The Personalized Health Association urged the Drug Enforcement Administration to finalize its permanent telemedicine prescribing rule on schedule. - PHA met Sept. 29, 2026, with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget, plus staff from the Department of Justice and DEA. - The group described how the rule would affect the full care chain, from the telehealth visit to the filled prescription.

The details: - Since 2020, temporary federal flexibilities have allowed prescriptions for controlled medications to be written through secure video visits without a prior in-person exam. - PHA said the final rule should be effective, deregulatory, cost efficient and grounded in common sense. - Jonathan Mordis, PHA pharmacy advisor and chief executive of a nationwide compounding pharmacy chain, said pharmacies already report controlled prescriptions to state prescription monitoring programs. - Mordis said requiring the same data again in a second format would add cost and take time away from patient care. - Mordis said identity verification should happen at the start of care, before a prescription is written, rather than later at the pharmacy. - PHA President and Board Member Jimmy St. Louis said the rule should preserve responsible patient access and provide a practical roadmap for expanding the guidelines. - PHA Founder and Director Bill Moses said the final rule should preserve clinical judgment and informed patient participation within safeguards and the law. - PHA’s recommendations fall into three areas: eliminate duplicative requirements, align requirements with current practice and technology, and ensure continuity of care. - Under the first category, PHA wants a single national DEA registration instead of separate state-by-state registrations and fees. - PHA also wants DEA to rely on dispensing data pharmacies already report to state prescription monitoring programs. - Under the second category, PHA wants prescription database checks based on the patient’s home-state program until a single national query tool exists. - PHA also wants identity verification aligned with state law and a telemedicine platform definition focused on entities whose compensation is tied to prescribing. - PHA wants standards for the most tightly controlled medications grounded in the proposed rule’s specialist and treatment-purpose requirements. - Under the third category, PHA wants a compliance date 12 months after publication and an interim extension of current flexibilities so active patients do not face a lapse on Jan. 1. - PHA said leading medical, hospital and pharmacy organizations have also requested each recommendation on the public record. - DEA’s analysis estimates more than 145,000 new registrations and $24 million in fees in the rule’s first year. - PHA said its seven recommendations are available online, and the meeting, participants and submission are part of the public record maintained by OMB at reginfo.gov. - Henry J. Legere III, PHA medical advisor and founder of JRNYS Wellness, said the group supports prescription monitoring and wants the requirement to match checks clinicians can perform today, with a nationwide requirement once the technology exists.

Between the lines: - PHA is trying to shape the rule around workflow, not ideology. - The group is signaling that the biggest risk is not only access, but also added administrative burden and duplicate reporting. - By pushing for a delayed compliance date, PHA is seeking to avoid a January disruption for patients already in treatment.

What's next: - DEA is reviewing the final rule under Executive Order 12866. - The agency is expected to act on the permanent rule on its November timeline. - If the rule lands as PHA wants, the transition would give telehealth platforms, prescribers and pharmacies more time to adapt before current flexibilities expire.