Urging Action on DEA-948: a regulation with deadly public health consequences

Urging Action on DEA-948: a regulation with deadly public health consequences On Friday, February 24th the DEA announced two proposed rules for prescribing controlled substances after the end of the Public Health Emergency. I am writing to urge you to take quick action to oppose this proposal and the damage it would undoubtedly cause for patients overcoming opioid addiction. These new rules will force medical providers of life-saving medication treatment (buprenorphine/suboxone) to discontinue critical care if patients are unable to access an in-person, DEA-registered clinician within 30 days of initiating treatment over telehealth. As drafted, these rules will result in many people who need care being left without access to treatment and support, and lead to even more suffering, devastation, and death in the middle of a worsening overdose epidemic. We must avoid the catastrophic impact this rule could have on those who are unable to access in-person care, and urge the DEA to reconsider this punitive, dangerous, and unproven approach. The lives of your constituents depend on your actions.