Expands telehealth options for mental health and opioid disorder prescriptions.
This bill would make it easier for people to get prescriptions for mental health conditions and opioid use disorder through telehealth. It would allow doctors and nurses to prescribe certain controlled substances after a telehealth visit. It would also prevent pharmacists from refusing these prescriptions without first checking their validity. This aims to improve access to care for many patients.
Today, rules for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth can be restrictive, and pharmacists can refuse prescriptions based solely on their telehealth origin. This bill would expand the definition of a valid prescription to include telehealth evaluations for mental health and opioid use disorder treatments. It would require pharmacists to validate concerns before refusing prescriptions, with a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per violation. It would also override state laws that restrict these telehealth practices.
HR 6994 · 119th Congress · January 9, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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5 filings mentioned this bill
Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.