Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Department of Justice finalized a rule adding in parts of the 2018 Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act to open access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, which took effect on July 9, 2026. The rule, published in the Federal Register, allows pharmacies to deliver prescribed controlled substances (CS) to a practitioner’s registered location for administration during maintenance or detoxification treatment without needing to obtain a waiver. The final rule also lengthens the window for practitioners to administer delivered CS from 14 to 45 days. Altogether, these regulatory updates align DEA rules with current federal law and are designed to reduce obstacles for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacies, and other practitioners providing care to patients who are opioid dependent.