Oppose the DEA Rule Change that harms terminally ill patients
A recently-proposed DEA rule change would prevent doctors from prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine without first conducting an in-person evaluation. Terminally ill patients nearing the end of their lives are almost always too sick to visit a doctor in person. This rule change would restrict access to health care, and make it incredibly difficult for terminally ill patients to receive routine palliative care and medicines that can ease their pain.
The public comment period on the rule is open until March 31. We must act quickly to prevent this rule from taking effect as written. Submit a public comment today. Fill out our form and your comment will be sent directly to the DEA.
Tips for your public comment
- We’ve pre-loaded a sample letter to get you started. You should edit as much as you want to tell your story and explain how this rule change would impact you personally.
- Clearly identify the issues on which you are commenting. Make it clear that the rule change harms terminally ill patients.
- Constructive critiques and criticisms are most likely to influence the final outcome. So keep your letter clean and free of personal attacks.
The Completed Life Initiative, founded in 2019, was created in an effort to promote self-determination and dignity at the end-of-life. Their purpose is to provide increased access to end-of-life care resources, expand Death with Dignity legislative action, and start a national movement prompting people to ask: “what does it mean to live a completed life?” Learn more about their work here.
American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying
ACAMAID works to develop, improving, and support best practices for the care of patients considering or completing aid in dying. They inform and educate clinicians about medical aid in dying — from clinical discussions to evidence-based knowledge, from nursing care to the work of volunteers at the bedside, from medical ethics to pharmacology, and more. Learn more here.