Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amazon To Launch 'Pharmacy Kiosks' For One Medical Patients In December
CBS News: Amazon To Start Offering Prescription Drugs Through Vending Machines
Amazon announced it is rolling out "pharmacy kiosks" beginning in December. The self-service kiosks will allow Amazon's One Medical patients to bypass brick-and-mortar pharmacies and get their prescribed medications at the doctor's office at the end of their appointment. Starting in December, the kiosks will be available at One Medical locations in downtown Los Angeles, West LA, Beverly Hills, Long Beach and West Hollywood, the e-commerce giant said Tuesday. (Cunningham, 10/8)
More on the high cost of prescription drugs —
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Excludes Generics From Big Pharma Tariff Plan
The Trump administration said it isn’t planning to impose tariffs on generic drugs from foreign countries, after months of wrangling over whether to impose levies on the vast majority of drugs that are dispensed in the U.S. The administration has been weighing duties on a range of pharmaceutical products and ingredients, using a tariff investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which covers threats to national security. President Trump last month posted online that he would impose 100% tariffs on name-brand drugs on Oct. 1, but didn’t mention generics. (Bade, 10/8)
The Hill: Oz Seeks To Soothe MAHA
Speaking during a weekly call with MAHA supporters on Wednesday, Oz said he recognized that some were not happy when the administration last week announced a deal with Pfizer about lowering drug prices for Medicaid patients. “Some of the companies we’re working with are not companies that folks in the MAHA movement have thought highly of,” said Oz, who is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Weixel and Choi, 10/8)
KFF Health News: Listen: Why “TrumpRx” Might Not Save You Money
KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner appeared Oct. 6 on the podcast “Today, Explained” to discuss TrumpRx, President Donald Trump’s proposal for a direct-to-consumer website aimed at lowering prescription drug costs. While few details were made public when the program was announced on Sept. 30, Rovner explains that consumers who are enrolled in health plans through their employers or government programs may save more money on drugs using their insurance or drugmakers’ patient discount programs. (Rovner, 10/9)
In other Trump administration news —
Bloomberg: Trump To Undergo Regular Physical Exam At Walter Reed On Friday
President Donald Trump will undergo a physical exam on Friday following mounting questions about his health prompted by noticeable bruising and swelling in recent months. “On Friday morning, President Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a planned meeting and remarks with the troops. While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly check up,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Wednesday. “President Trump is considering going to the Middle East shortly thereafter.” (Dezenski, 10/8)
