The Drug Enforcement Agency’s latest proposal to curb controlled substance prescribing through telehealth is a short-sighted mandate that will have sweeping, profound and damaging effects on care for women.

Opening up the world to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed women’s healthcare to flourish. It allowed women access, it allowed them time back and it allowed them privacy. In short: telehealth has revolutionized women’s health. Why? Because women face unique challenges that make telehealth crucial to the big-picture of women’s health in this country. 

They are often the ones juggling work and caregiving responsibilities and their time is limited, making access to telehealth all the more valuable and critical to continued care. And, prescriptions classified as controlled substances, impacted by the DEA proposal, are a primary treatment for many women’s health conditions. In rural America, where over 50% of counties lack an OB/GYN, telehealth is often the only viable option. 

Taking away the ability for telehealth providers to prescribe controlled substances will result in:  discontinued or lack of treatment, missed appointments, increased healthcare costs due to greater health complications down the road, and lost wages because women will have to take time off work to make it to their inconvenient appointments. 

The pandemic showed us that telehealth can be as effective as in-person care, with studies highlighting reduced travel stress and enhanced patient satisfaction. Access to telehealth is no longer a novelty, it’s a necessity to the  well-being  of our society. In order to move forward  into the next generation of healthcare, we must adapt our regulations to meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations.

Here are examples of medications women rely on for treatment through telehealth, which would be at risk if this new proposal were to pass:

• Anxiolytics and sleep aids (like Ativan, Lunesta): Women experience higher rates of anxiety disorders and insomnia and Rx like these help give them some relief.  
• Gabapentin: Crucial for managing hot flashes and sleep issues. This drug is especially critical for breast cancer survivors who cannot take hormonal treatments!
• Phentermine: Women are more susceptible to weight gain, especially after menopause and drugs like phentermine can be used to lower obesity rates and improve heart health through weight loss. It is also an affordable option compared to many costly weight loss medications.
• Testosterone: Prescribed for women with low libido, often due to menopause or other hormonal imbalances. Telemedicine has made this treatment more accessible and less stigmatizing.
• Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone): Used to treat opioid addiction, which disproportionately affects women who were/are more likely to be prescribed opioids. Telehealth access to this medication is vital for women seeking addiction treatment, especially those in rural areas with limited access to in-person care.

The implications are dire and the timing is urgent. Women will lose access to these critically important health care treatments on December 31, 2024 unless the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) preserves this access. Please sign our petition to urge the DEA to extend prescribing flexibilities for two years while it works to meet its congressional mandate to create a special registration pathway that continues access to care.

Women's health depends on it!