The opioid epidemic is making the United States acutely aware of the horrors of substance abuse disorders and the limited means of treating the individuals suffering from addiction. Rural America is among the places hit hardest by opioid addiction while also having limited access to mental and behavioral health providers.
Telemedicine offers a viable solution to provider shortages, particularly with an eye toward mental health care professionals. Although telemedicine alone will not remedy the shortage of psychiatrists in the United States, the technology does possess the capability of greatly increasing access to them; however, a large driver of psychiatric care is provided through pharmaceutical treatments.
The ability for providers to prescribe pharmaceuticals, particularly controlled substances, to patients the provider has not seen in person is limited by the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (Haight Act). The relevance of the Haight Act, a law that went into effect almost nine years ago, has been revitalized, but the opioid epidemic and advances in psychiatric treatment are now demonstrating the law requires clarification through amendment to improve access to pharmaceutical treatments and, in turn, increase access to mental health care.
Reprinted with permission, copyright © 2018, The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
