Content Provided by: American Medical Association

Yesterday, the AMA wrote to Admiral Giroir at HHS to make several recommendations regarding COVID-19 diagnostic and serologic tests. We urge HHS to: (1) pursue a national strategy for testing during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) receive consultation from all sectors of the laboratory community, including hospital, academic, and community laboratories; (3) ensure laboratories are adequately resourced to meet ongoing demand; and (4) provide additional guidance and education to physicians and the public regarding serologic testing.

We also wrote to Acting Administrator Dhillon to thank the DEA for its proposal to reduce the administrative burden for narcotic treatment programs (NTPs) that operate mobile components. Under the new DEA proposal, NTP registrants that operate mobile components will be able to dispense controlled substances without obtaining a separate DEA registration for the mobile component. The AMA welcomes this change and urges the DEA to finalize it soon.