January 6, 2026
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have published a temporary rule extending COVID-19 era telemedicine prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances through December 31, 2026. The rule took effect January 1, 2026, and continues the temporary telemedicine authority through the end of the year, giving health-care providers and patients more time to adjust to upcoming regulatory changes.
Originally adopted during the early months of the pandemic, these flexibilities allow licensed practitioners to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled medications via telemedicine, including to patients they have not previously seen in person, without meeting the usual in-person examination requirement under the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act.
This fourth extension aims to prevent a sudden loss of patient access to care, sometimes called the “telemedicine cliff,” while the DEA finalizes longer-term regulations governing remote prescribing of controlled substances. Without this extension, providers would have faced a return to stricter in-person visit requirements that could disrupt treatment continuity for conditions such as chronic pain and opioid use disorder.