Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: What's Causing The Antibiotic Shortage?; Pharmacists Should Be Prescribing Birth Control
Stat: Amoxicillin Shortage Continues To Plague Doctors, Families
During last fall’s “tripledemic,” cases of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Covid-19 in children soared nationally. There was a spike in ED room visits, urgent care appointments, and hospital admissions. Amid the strain on providers and patients, medication shortages were an unwelcome addition to an already challenging viral season. (Nishant Pandya, 5/8)
The CT Mirror: CT Pharmacists Should Be Able To Prescribe Birth Control
S.B. 171 — An Act Allowing Pharmacists to Prescribe Birth Control Medication, a bipartisan bill currently in the Connecticut legislature, would expand access to birth control for residents of Connecticut by giving pharmacists the authority to prescribe it. (Pia Baldwin Edwards, 5/9)
Stat: The IRA's False Distinction Between Small And Large Molecule Drugs
Researchers have more sophisticated tools not only to identify new drug targets, but also to make drugs to hit those targets. A wide variety of therapeutic agents help make these drugs, including chemically synthesized small molecules; larger molecules made of amino acids like peptides, proteins, and antibodies; and nucleic acids like RNA or DNA. (Daniel M. Skovronsky, 5/9)
Stat: The Misconceptions About The Accelerated Drug Approval Pathway
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration’s Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee will meet to discuss the Biologics License Application for Sarepta Therapeutics’ gene therapy delandistrogene moxeparvovec for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. (Emil D. Kakkis and Camille Bedrosian, 5/10)
The Washington Post: How To Stop Fentanyl-Laced Pills From Massacring Teens
Logan Rachwal, 19, had just started his freshman year at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. On Valentine’s Day in 2021, he had an argument with his girlfriend and decided to take a Percocet, a painkiller, that he had bought through the social media app Snapchat. (Leana S. Wen, 5/8)
The New York Times: The Drug That Saves Lives Even If It’s Never Used
The F.D.A. recently approved Narcan for over-the-counter purchase, an important step in making it accessible to those who might need it or be in a position to give it to someone who’s overdosing. (Elizabeth Spiers, 5/7)
