![]() Folx, which is based in Boston, was founded in 2020 to provide telehealth services to LGBTQ communities. The Folx executive, the company's chief clinical officer, Kate Steinle, said the startup expected to be allowed to continue prescribing testosterone under this rule change. While that plan has been delayed for more than a decade, the DEA put out a proposal in March, and a top Folx executive said the DEA was facing added pressure to finalize the plan because so many patients got their care online.Ī DEA representative declined to say how long it might take to finalize the rule. The DEA is required by law to come up with a way to allow doctors to continue prescribing controlled substances via telehealth. The DEA is working on a plan to allow doctors to prescribe controlled drugs online Plume and Folx said they're urging lawmakers to continue to allow online prescribing of hormone therapy. Folx could also refer patients for in-person care to doctors not associated with the company.Ĭertain policy developments could let Folx and Plume keep prescribing testosterone, though, and two senators have asked the Biden administration to loosen restrictions on the treatment. Another would be for the patient to see their Folx provider in person. One option would be for patients to be seen by a Folx clinician remotely from a clinic run by a provider with the ability to prescribe controlled substances. Jerrica Kirkley and Matthew Wetschler founded Plume.įolx said its contingency plans involved sending patients to in-person clinics. Plume was founded by Jerrica Kirkley and Matthew Wetschler in 2019 to provide gender-affirming hormone therapy over telehealth. Plume, which is based in Denver, said it's working on contingency plans but declined to describe them to Insider. In-person doctor visits could become necessary to get testosterone Folx estimates it has 5,000 clients on testosterone, and Plume estimates that 30% to 40% of its 11,000 users are on testosterone. And telehealth companies that offer treatments like testosterone are working to come up with contingency plans.įolx and Plume are two of the most prominent startups providing direct-to-consumer gender-affirming hormone therapy. Still, President Joe Biden's recent declaration that the pandemic was "over" is the latest sign that COVID-era flexibility won't last forever. The order that allowed for these looser regulations is set to expire on October 13, though it's been extended repeatedly, and many expect the Biden administration to extend it yet again. In response to the pandemic, the DEA loosened regulations, making it easier to get controlled substances like testosterone and the ADHD drug Adderall online. ![]() ![]() The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies testosterone as a controlled substance, and before the COVID-19 pandemic it was impossible to get it solely through telehealth. For thousands of people like Kole, who get their testosterone treatments online, this convenient, safe access may be at risk if rules around telehealth return to a pre-pandemic status quo. For many, this care, which is used to help some transgender people feel more like their true gender, is a crucial and often life-saving treatment that can increase happiness and decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. ![]() Several hundred thousand people use testosterone for gender-affirming hormone therapy, according to an estimate from the Center for Applied Transgender Studies. It could become more difficult to get hormone therapy online It often indicates a user profile.Ī game developer named Kole says he prefers to get care online. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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