Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Grandma's Using Cannabis. Doctors Can Help; GLP-1s Fuel Our Unhealthy Culture
Stat: A Doctor’s Advice For Seniors Using Cannabis
In 2016, about six weeks after cannabis was legalized for adults in Massachusetts, I was at a bustling New Year’s Eve party. It was a fun crowd, and I was having a good time. Suddenly, a friend shouted, “Peter, come quickly, you’re the only doctor here who isn’t high. We have an emergency.” (Peter Grinspoon, 7/9)
The New York Times: How GLP-1s Feed Our Sick Culture
For women, they’re a depressingly rational choice. (Jessica Grose, 7/8)
Stat: How GLP-1 Makers Benefit From Calling Obesity A Disease
As global approvals of new anti-obesity medicines accelerate, drugmakers have a public service announcement for the world: “Obesity is a disease.” Eli Lilly launched a website asserting that obesity is not merely a risk factor for medical complications but a chronic and complex medical entity in its own right. Novo Nordisk, more circumspectly, appeals to institutional authority on its website: “Recognised as a disease by the World Health Organization, obesity is serious, progressive and chronic.” (Max Moser, 7/9)
KFF Health News: My Search For A Psychiatric Bed In An Overburdened Health System
Eight days before my 33rd birthday in April, a social worker at a crisis clinic near Denver determined I was an imminent danger to myself. She placed me on an involuntary 72-hour mental health hold. What came next wasn’t treatment, but a search for a bed. Clinic staffers called area hospitals with inpatient psychiatric units, asking if they had available beds. They didn’t. So, I was told I had to spend the night at the clinic, which is open 24/7. I settled into a recliner, trying to make myself comfortable as my mind drifted in a blank, disassociated haze. Sleep came in brief bursts. (Helen Santoro, 7/9)
The New York Times: This Is One Of The Hardest Jobs In America. Millions Are Doing It Alone.
Behind closed doors, millions of Americans are stepping into one of the hardest roles they’ll ever take on: caring for their aging parents. (Amanda Su, Emily Holzknecht and Jan Kobal, 7/8)
Chicago Tribune: Transition To Senior Living Is Best Done With Deliberateness
When a family waits for an emergency to dictate a move to senior living, they unknowingly surrender their power of choice. (Lindsey Lavery, 7/7)
