Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CVS Says It Will No Longer Fill Certain Prescriptions From Cerebral Or Done
The Wall Street Journal: CVS Will Stop Filling Controlled-Substance Prescriptions For Cerebral, Done
CVS Health Corp. will stop filling prescriptions for controlled substances ordered by clinicians working for telehealth startups Cerebral Inc. and Done Health starting Thursday, a move that will impact thousands of patients. Cerebral disclosed the change in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. The pharmacy plans to block Done prescriptions for controlled substances as well, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Winkler, 5/25)
ScienceDaily: New Research May Explain Unexpected Effects Of Common Painkillers
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin are widely used to treat pain and inflammation. But even at similar doses, different NSAIDs can have unexpected and unexplained effects on many diseases, including heart disease and cancer. (Yale University, 5/23)
DEA: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Results In DEA And Partners Collecting Hundreds Of Thousands Of Pounds
On April 30, 2022, communities across the country demonstrated their support for DEA’s annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day by dropping off more than 720,000 pounds of unneeded medications at 5,144 collection sites. Since 2010, DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has collected nearly 16 million pounds of unneeded prescription medications. (5/23)
CIDRAP: Meta-Analysis Supports Shorter Antibiotic Course For Kids' Pneumonia
A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials of antibiotic treatment for children with community-acquired pneumonia provides further support for shorter treatment duration, Finnish researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (5/18)
CIDRAP: Pre-Caesarean Antibiotics Don't Raise Kids' Risk Of Asthma, Eczema
A new study by researchers in the United Kingdom indicates that antibiotics given to pregnant women prior to a caesarean birth do not increase the risk of asthma, eczema, or other allergic conditions in children. The findings of the longitudinal study, published yesterday in the BMJ, provide support for a policy instituted in 2011 by the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that recommended prophylactic antibiotics before incision in women undergoing caesarean section, who are more susceptible to postpartum infections. (Dall, 5/19)
CIDRAP: G7 Health Ministers Commit To Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance
The G7 Health Ministers late last week highlighted the "silent pandemic" of AMR as one of their primary health priorities. In a communique issued after their May 19-20 meeting in Berlin, the health ministers of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) called AMR an "urgent public health and socio-economic problem" that will affect the entire globe but have a significant impact on low- and middle-income countries. Acknowledging AMR as a shared responsibility, they committed to "taking further urgent and tangible action" to address the issue. (5/23)
CIDRAP: WHO Lays Out Priorities In Battle Against Antimicrobial Resistance
The World Health Organization (WHO) last week published its strategic priorities for tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The document lays out four strategic priority areas that incorporate what the WHO says are the essential components of the AMR response at global, regional, and country levels. It also lists the key achievements and the next steps that need to be taken in those four areas. (5/23)
