Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Who Shouldn't Take Ozempic?; More Than Narcan Is Needed To Overcome Opioid Addiction
Newsweek: What You Need To Know Before Taking Ozempic
Ozempic is a brand name for the drug Semaglutide. Wegovy and Rybelsus are also semaglutide drugs on the market. What differentiates them is the means of taking it (pill versus injection), and dosage. Ozempic and Rybelsus are Type 2 diabetes drugs being prescribed off label for weight loss, but Wegovy was FDA approved for weight loss as an "anti-obesity drug" in 2021. (Jillian Michaels, 3/30)
USA Today: Fentanyl Killed My Son: US Needs More Than Narcan To Fight Opioids
As a Navy admiral, I helped lead one of the most powerful militaries in the world. Today, our nation is fighting an urgent battle here at home – an overdose epidemic in which illicit fentanyl is killing 70,000 Americans a year. That’s more people than we lost in combat during the Vietnam War and since. (James "Sandy'' Winnefeld, 4/5)
Los Angeles Times: The Comstock Act Is A Relic, And Should Not Be A Weapon Against Medication Abortion Pills
The most commonly used form of abortion is medication pills. They are relatively easy to get and the Food and Drug Administration has recently made them easier to get by allowing telehealth medical appointments for abortion and also allowing pharmacies to get certified to sell — and mail — abortion pills. (4/3)
