The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is considering a federal rule change that would restrict telehealth prescriptions for some of the most addictive and potentially lethal drugs. The new rule would require a physician to have conducted an in-person medical examination of a patient (or to have received a referral from another physician who conducted an in-person examination) before issuing a prescription for certain controlled substances.
The change would impact assisted suicide via telehealth, since the drugs used in assisted suicide fall into the substance category addressed by the proposed rule.
Currently, Vermont state law permits assisted suicide via telehealth and has no residency requirement for assisted suicide applicants, so Vermont doctors can prescribe lethal drugs to anyone in the country. Other states are considering or have similar laws. The DEA’s new rule would require that doctors have seen their patients in person first.
The DEA has invited public comments on the proposed new rule. Advocates for euthanasia and assisted suicide are flooding the agency with comments in opposition to the change.
Please submit a comment in support of the rule change.
Here’s a sample comment:
I support the DEA's proposed rule change that would prevent doctors from prescribing some extremely dangerous controlled substances via tele-health.
The proposed change would help protect all Americans from opioid abuse and addiction. We need more precautions to ensure that dangerous, potentially lethal drugs are not inappropriately prescribed. The DEA is right to make this change.
You may submit your comment here. The deadline for public comments is Friday, March 31, at 9pm PDT.
Thank you for speaking up for the vulnerable!