HR1627-119

What This Bill Does

The Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, or TREATS Act, amends the Controlled Substances Act telemedicine prescribing rule. The local database has no clause text for this row, so this analysis uses the official introduced text and CRS summary. Under current law, controlled-substance prescribing by telehealth generally requires at least one in-person medical evaluation unless an exception applies. The bill creates a permanent telehealth-evaluation option for prescribing schedule III, IV, or V controlled substances that FDA has approved for substance use disorder treatment. The telehealth evaluation can use audio-only or audio-video real-time two-way communication under the Medicare telehealth telecommunications system definition. The policy focus is medication treatment access for substance use disorder, not unrestricted telehealth prescribing for all controlled substances.

Who Benefits and How

Patients with substance use disorder benefit because they can start or continue approved medication treatment through telehealth without first completing an in-person evaluation. Rural patients benefit because audio-only or audio-video evaluation can reduce travel barriers to addiction treatment. Addiction medicine practitioners benefit from permanent authority to prescribe covered schedule III through V medications after telehealth evaluation. Telehealth addiction clinics benefit because the bill gives a statutory path beyond temporary Ryan Haight Act flexibilities.

Who Bears the Burden and How

DEA must administer controlled-substance telehealth prescribing rules under the amended Controlled Substances Act. Pharmacies must evaluate prescriptions for covered substance use disorder medications issued after telehealth evaluations. Diversion-control staff must monitor whether remote prescribing is used for legitimate substance use disorder treatment. Practitioners must comply with federal and state law, schedule limitations, FDA approval limits, and documentation requirements.

Key Provisions

• Creates a telehealth-evaluation alternative to an in-person medical evaluation for covered substance use disorder prescribing.
• Limits the authority to schedule III, IV, or V controlled substances approved by FDA for substance use disorder treatment.
• Authorizes audio-only or audio-video two-way real-time communication for the telehealth evaluation.
• Amends the Controlled Substances Act rather than relying on temporary regulatory flexibility.