Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Black Box Warnings On Menopause Treatments Are Outdated; We Expect Too Much Of Our Doctors
The Washington Post: The FDA Should Stop Scaring Women About This Menopause Treatment
For years, the Food and Drug Administration has been warning women about hormone therapies to treat menopause symptoms. The agency requires all estrogen-containing products to display a black box safety label — the most severe packaging requirement — claiming that they increase the risk of breast cancer, heart attacks and dementia. Here's the problem: It’s not accurate. (Leana S. Wen, 7/29)
Stat: Medicine Asks Doctors For More And More — Until They Break
I’m writing this with a heating pad on my back, a lukewarm cup of tea next to me, and a to-do list I’ve already given up on. Welcome to my glamorous life in medicine. (Cara Poland, 7/30)
Bloomberg: Health Screenings Work. So Why Gut The Panel Behind Them?
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is expected to fire members of the critical US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for being too “woke,” according to the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the news. The independent panel of volunteer experts in primary care has significant influence over the practice of medicine and access to care in the US. (Lisa Jarvis, 7/29)
Also —
CNN: Opioid Fight Demands Better Overdose Reversal Strategies, Stronger Policy Support, Former US Surgeon General Says
The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which experts predict will reduce Medicaid coverage for millions of Americans, combined with the proposed elimination of a $56 million grant for overdose reversal training and distribution, threatens to undermine progress in reducing opioid overdose deaths. (Dr. Jerome Adams, 7/29)
Chicago Tribune: This Is How Addiction Science Is Saving Lives
Like many who have endured childhood trauma, Shannon Hicks turned to drugs at an early age. Pregnant by 16 and a mother of two by 19, she was married and living in her first home — believing she was living the dream. Shortly after her 20th birthday, Hicks was in a serious car accident and prescribed opioids for the resulting pain. But the medication unearthed long-suppressed trauma from childhood sexual abuse, intensifying her opioid use and deepening her dependence. (Diana Fishbein, 7/29)
West Virginia Watch: With WV’s History, It’s No Surprise Most Opioid Settlement Money Has Gone To Law Enforcement
West Virginia has a serious drug problem. For years, the Mountain State has been referred to as “ground zero” for the nation’s ongoing drug and overdose epidemic. Research has proven that the most effective way to help people who use drugs intravenously is syringe service programs. These programs provide free needles for drug users to help stop the spread of diseases, like HIV and hepatitis C. However, those programs are banned in West Virginia. And while harm reduction programs have proven to be effective, lawmakers continue to make it difficult to open or run them. West Virginia has nine methadone clinics, and state law prohibits any more from opening. (Leann Ray, 7/29)
