Quinn Hartman
Under the Ryan Haight Act (RHA), the federal government has tightly restricted the prescription of controlled substances through telemedicine. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, which led millions to rely on telemedicine, lawmakers have introduced and renewed waivers to these restrictions to ensure continued access to treatment. By relaxing enforcement, those waivers have inadvertently spawned a resurgence in the unlawful activities that the RHA aimed to prevent. This Article proposes that special registration, a reliable process allowing legitimate providers to apply for the ability to prescribe virtually, is a better alternative to renewing the waivers, as it preserves telemedicine while maintaining security.