Data / Federal rules / 2026-02288
Registering Emergency Medical Services Agencies Under the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017
The Drug Enforcement Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on February 5, 2026. It took effect on March 9, 2026.
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What the agency says
The "Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017," (the Act) which became law on November 17, 2017, amended the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to allow for a new registration category for emergency medical services agencies that handle controlled substances. It also established standards for registering emergency medical services agencies, and set forth new requirements for delivery, storage, and recordkeeping related to their handling of controlled substances. In addition, the Act allows emergency medical services professionals to administer controlled substances outside the physical presence of a medical director or authorizing medical professional pursuant to a valid standing or verbal order. The Drug Enforcement Administration is publishing this final rule to conform its regulations to the statutory amendments of the CSA and to otherwise implement its requirements. This final rule adopts, with minor modifications, the notice of proposed rulemaking published on October 5, 2020.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-02288
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Justice Department; Drug Enforcement Administration
- Published
- February 5, 2026
- Takes effect
- March 9, 2026
- Dates
- This rule is effective March 9, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. DEA-377
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 1117-AB37
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 21 CFR 1300; 21 CFR 1301; 21 CFR 1304; 21 CFR 1306; 21 CFR 1307
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Chemicals; Drug traffic control; Exports; Imports; Prescription drugs; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Security measures
- Significant
- Yes, under Executive Order 12866
- Pages
- 27
Other documents from the Drug Enforcement Administration
Everything from the Drug Enforcement Administration · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on chemicals · Rules on drug traffic control · Published in February 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.