Getting prescription meds via telehealth might change soon. Here's how to prepare

For three years now, the expansion of telehealth has made care more accessible for many people, especially those in rural areas. Patients have been able to receive prescriptions from providers without seeing them in person. But that may change come May 11 when the federal government is set to end the Covid-19 public health emergency declaration that made this convenience possible. Before the pandemic, medical practitioners were subject to the conditions of the Ryan Haight Act, which required at least one in-person examination before prescribing a controlled medicine, said Dr. Shabana Khan, chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Committee on Telepsychiatry. “There are seven exceptions, and one of them is a public health emergency declared by the secretary of (health and human services), which is what we’ve had for the past three years,” Khan said. “It was immensely helpful … and allowed many Americans to get their medical care without having to come in person, so we could treat patients completely remotely.”