Mental and Behavioral Health

The Ryan Haight Act: The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 2008 to reign in rogue internet pharmacies by regulating online prescriptions. The Act requires practitioners to conduct an in-person medical evaluation before prescribing controlled substances. This requirement had a dampening effect on legitimate healthcare practitioners who practice via telehealth. The law does allow for seven telemedicine-specific exceptions, but they are highly technical and do not apply to all practitioners. One of the exceptions, creating a special registration through the DEA, has not yet been implemented.