The Drug Enforcement Administration will host public listening sessions to receive comments from healthcare practitioners, experts, advocates, patients, and other members of the public to inform DEA’s regulations on prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine. The listening sessions will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, and Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at DEA Headquarters, 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. The listening sessions will be held in person and livestreamed with remote participation available.
Persons wishing to attend in person or provide a limited oral presentation (in person or virtually) must register on the Diversion Control Division website at https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/ListeningSession, no later than August 21, 2023. Due to time constraints, a cross-section of persons and organizations will be selected to present at the listening sessions. After reviewing the requests to present, the DEA will respond to all persons who request to provide an oral presentation to notify them of the status of their request.
These listening sessions will also be livestreamed. The DEA will publicize instructions for accessing the livestream at a later date. Additionally, a copy of the transcript from the listening sessions will be made available at the DEA Diversion Control Program website, https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov. That transcript will be considered part of the rulemaking record.
Persons needing any accommodations for a disability ( e.g., sign language interpreter) are asked to notify DEA with their accommodation request no later than August 21, 2023. Such notification should be made to Scott A. Brinks whose contact information is listed below.
Background:
On March 1, 2023, DEA, in concert with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRM) to allow for prescribing of certain controlled medications via telemedicine without an in-person medical evaluation of the patient under circumstances that are consistent with public health, safety, and effective controls against diversion. On May 9, DEA and HHS announced the extension of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for an additional six months while considering the more than 38,000 comments from the public on the NPRMs.
For more information, visit Federal Register : Practice of Telemedicine: Listening Sessions. For additional questions, email DPW@DEA.gov or contact Scott A. Brinks, Regulatory Drafting and Policy Support Section, Diversion Control Division, Drug Enforcement Administration; Mailing Address: 8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152; Telephone: (571) 776–3882.
 is making rules to allow for the prescribing of certain controlled medications via telemedicine. Currently, COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities have been extended by several months to allow for consideration of public comments. The DEA will host two days of public listening sessions to receive additional comments from healthcare practitioners, experts, advocates, patients, and other members. The listening sessions will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, and Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in person and via livestream. For more information, visit Federal Register : Practice of Telemedicine: Listening Sessions.){kind=link}