Healthy Byte January 14, 2026

Healthy Byte | HHS and DEA Extend COVID-19-era Rule on Telehealth Flexibilities for Controlled Substances

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued the Fourth Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications, allowing DEA-registered practitioners to continue prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine through December 31, 2026.

Watch Sean Sullivan, Sofia Molodanof, and Anthony Fanucci break down the Fourth Temporary Rule, including what it means for prescribers, the prevention of a “telemedicine cliff,” and how this extension interacts with earlier final rules on buprenorphine treatment and Veterans Affairs telemedicine prescribing. View our January 2025 Healthy Byte for more information on this topic. 


Subscribe to Our Health Care Updates >

View More Healthy Bytes >  |  View Our Digital Health Care Services >


Meet the Authors
Media Contact
Alex Wolfe
Communications Director