On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS,” and together with the DEA, the “Agencies”) issued a fourth temporary rule (the “Fourth Temporary Rule”) extending the COVID-19-era telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing Schedule II–V controlled substances through December 31, 2026. The extension allows DEA-registered practitioners to continue prescribing controlled medications via telemedicine without a prior in-person visit, subject to existing safeguards and state law. The Fourth Temporary Rule notes that the Agencies continue to work on permanent regulations, including a special telemedicine registration framework.
For more information regarding the DEA and HHS proposed rules or other considerations related to telehealth prescriptions, please contact:
- Chris Eades at ceades@hallrender.com or (317) 977-1460;
- John Williams III at jwilliams@hallrender.com or (202) 370-9585;
- Abigail Kaericher at akaericher@hallrender.com (202) 742-9674;
- Jonathan Tarro at jtarro@hallrender.com or (317) 429-3603; or
- Your primary Hall Render contact.
Hall Render blog posts and articles are intended for informational purposes only. For ethical reasons, Hall Render attorneys cannot—outside of an attorney-client relationship—answer specific questions that would be legal advice.
