The TREATS Act amends federal drug laws to allow doctors to prescribe certain controlled substances for substance use disorder treatment through telehealth visits instead of requiring an in-person medical evaluation. Specifically, the bill permits telehealth evaluations for prescribing schedule III, IV, and V controlled substances that the FDA has approved for treating substance use disorder, provided patients have at least one in-person medical evaluation. The legislation defines telehealth evaluation as a remote medical evaluation conducted through audio or audio-video telecommunications that allows two-way real-time communication between the patient and a practitioner. This change affects patients struggling with addiction, healthcare providers offering substance use disorder treatment, and the broader addiction treatment system. The bill was introduced in November 2023 with bipartisan support and has no specific funding or implementation timeline specified in the text.
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