News, October 26, 2026
DEA telemedicine flexibilities run through 2026
DEA and HHS extended telemedicine prescribing of controlled medications through December 31, 2026. None of the peptides on this site is DEA controlled.
DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a fourth extension of the COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled medications [1]. The rule was published on December 31, 2025, and is in effect from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 [1].
What the flexibilities cover
Under the Ryan Haight Act of 2008, a practitioner generally may prescribe a controlled substance remotely only after at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient [1]. The flexibilities, first set out in 2020, relax that requirement for telemedicine visits [1]. DEA has used these extensions to prevent lapses in patient care while it writes permanent rules [1]. One of those, a proposed Special Registration for Telemedicine, was published on January 17, 2025 [1].
What it means for peptides
These rules apply only to controlled substances [1]. None of the peptides on this site appears on DEA's list of controlled substances [2]. Approved peptide drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are prescription drugs, but they are not scheduled, so the Ryan Haight in-person rule does not apply to them [1, 2]. The DEA column of the Status Tracker shows this for each peptide, and how peptides are prescribed in the US covers telehealth prescribing more broadly [2].