What is the Ryan Haight Act and how will it affect my treatment?

The Ryan Haight Act, also known as the Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, was designed to combat the proliferation of so-called “rogue Internet sites” that unlawfully dispensed controlled substances by means of the Internet. The Act establishes that controlled substances require a prescription and that the person issuing the prescription has a doctor-patient relationship with the patient. It makes it illegal under Federal law to “deliver, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance by means of the internet, except as authorized by [the CSA]” or to aid or abet such activity.

The Ryan Haight Act does not prohibit the use of telemedicine to prescribe controlled substances, and a provider may do so if federal and state requirements are met. However, the challenge for many providers is understanding these laws and applying them to the processes of their specific service line or business.

How will the Ryan Haight Act effect the prescribing of scheduled medications via the internet?

Generally, the Ryan Haight Act amendments require that, in order for a controlled substance prescription issued via the internet to be “valid” it must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a practitioner who is acting in the usual course of his/her professional practice and who has conducted at least one (1) in-person medical evaluation of the patient, unless a narrow exception applies.

How will the Ryan Haight Act effect your treatment with Optimal Male TRT?

The DEA requires our providers to see patients for at least one in-person visit prior to prescribing testosterone, which is a Schedule III medication. That means that your very first initial visit with an Optimal Male TRT provider will be an in-person face-to-face office visit. That gives our provider the ample opportunity to evaluate you properly and in-depth, prior to prescribing you testosterone. Following that, telemedicine or telephone follow-up visits are adequate, and we will continue to check your labs at 3-to-6-month intervals to ensure you are at optimal levels. If your lab results should show something concerning, we may ask you to return for an office visit so that you can be properly evaluated.