ODP Announcement 22-046 reminds providers of information issued Wednesday, March 30, 2022, by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) as an update to their COVID-19 vaccine and booster eligibility guidelines. Questions about the reminder may be directed here.
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With Senate Bill 1019 passed into law as Act 14, the Department of Drug and Alcohol’s (DDAP) regulatory suspensions are also extended. These regulatory suspensions are “related to federal exemptions granted under the federal public health emergency declaration” until “the last day federal exemptions granted under the federal public health emergency declaration are authorized.” In addition to three DDAP regulatory suspensions, one additional regulation from the Department of State, also relevant to the field, is included in the chart below and also remains suspended.
| Statute/Regulation | Statute/Regulation Purpose |
Waiver Benefit/Explanation |
|
28 Pa. Code § 715.16(e) |
Prohibits narcotic treatment programs (NTPs — methadone clinics) from permitting a patient to receive more than a 2-week take-home supply of medication | In response to COVID-19, SAMHSA is allowing up to 28 days of take-home medications for patients on stable dosages, if the physician deems appropriate. |
| 28 Pa. Code § 715.9(a)(4) | Requires NTPs to make a face-to-face determination before admission to treatment, for those clients who will receive buprenorphine treatment. | In response to COVID-19, SAMHSA is allowing initial evaluations for a patient who will be treated with buprenorphine to be completed via telehealth. |
| 28 Pa. Code § 715.6(d) | Requires NTPs to have narcotic treatment physician services onsite. | In response to COVID-19, SAMHSA is allowing initial evaluations for a patient who will be treated with buprenorphine to be completed via telehealth. |
| 49 Pa. Code § 16.92(b)(1)
(Department of State) |
Before a patient can be prescribed any controlled substance in Pennsylvania, a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the commonwealth, or otherwise licensed or regulated by the State Board of Medicine, must take an initial medical history and conduct an initial physical examination, unless emergency circumstances justify otherwise. |
In response to COVID-19, the Department of State suspended the initial medical history and physical examination requirement specifically for the treatment of opioid-use disorder with buprenorphine. |
In November 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that the methadone take-home flexibilities will be extended for one year after the eventual expiration of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. DDAP has submitted its written concurrence with this exemption. SAMHSA has also indicated that they are currently considering mechanisms to make this flexibility permanent. Narcotic treatment programs do not need to do anything additional at this time to continue taking advantage of this flexibility.
Similarly, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also announced last week that they are currently working to make their teleprescribing regulations permanent. DDAP will continue to provide additional information and guidance as it becomes available.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Bureau of Program Licensure at (717) 783-8675 or via email.
CDC Booster Recommendation Update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend that all eligible adults, adolescents, and children 5 and older be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting an initial booster when eligible.
On March 29, 2022, the CDC updated its recommendations to allow individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, as well as people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago, to be eligible for another mRNA booster to increase their protection against severe disease from COVID-19.
It was also announced that adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
These updated recommendations acknowledge the increased risk of severe disease in certain populations, including those who are elderly or over the age of 50 with multiple underlying conditions, along with the currently available data on vaccine and booster effectiveness.
The CDC web page How Do I Find a COVID-19 Vaccine? offers additional guidance to locate a COVID-19 vaccine provider.
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