White House Plan To Fix Drug Supplies Leverages Hospital Medicare Payments

Stat: White House Offers New Plan To Address Drug Shortages
The White House at long last published a plan to stem drug shortages, and it involves basing Medicare pay to hospitals on whether hospitals adopt business practices that avoid shortages. The White House formed a task force at the beginning of 2023 to deal with the issue of persistent drug shortages, including cancer drugs. As of late last summer, lawmakers working on drug shortage legislation hadn’t spoken to the task force and didn’t know who was in charge of it. (Wilkerson, 4/2)

Reuters: Some Doses Of Lilly's Mounjaro In Tight Supply Through April, US FDA Says
Four doses of Eli Lilly's diabetes drug Mounjaro would remain in tight supply through 2024 due to soaring demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed. The regulator noted limited availability of 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 milligram doses through April, while lower doses were listed as "available". The FDA had previously said that three doses would have limited availability through early March. (4/2)

Axios: More Americans Forgoing ADHD Meds As Shortages Drag On
Shortages of commonly prescribed drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have stretched on for nearly 18 months, with no clear end in sight for many Americans who've found it difficult if not impossible to get the treatments. Why it matters: As demand for stimulants like Adderall and Vyvanse soared, the fill rate for such prescriptions has dropped more than 10% in two years, according to a new analysis from health analytics firm Truveta. (Reed, 4/3)

In other administration news —

Reuters: US FDA Approves Vanda's Drug For Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
The U.S. FDA approved Vanda Pharmaceuticals' drug to treat manic and mixed episodes associated with a type of bipolar disorder, the company said on Tuesday, marking the second approval for the treatment. Shares of the Washington, D.C.-based company jumped 16% after the bell. Fanapt, which was initially approved in 2009 as a treatment for schizophrenia, faces a potential loss of exclusivity in 2027. (4/2)

Reuters: Abbott's Heart Valve Repair Device Gains US FDA Approval
Abbott Laboratories, opens new tab said on Tuesday the U.S. FDA has approved its heart valve repair device for patients with a potentially fatal heart disease, just months after rival Edwards Lifesciences, opens new tab received the regulator's nod for its device. The Abbott device, TriClip, aims to treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR), which occurs when the valve separating the right lower chamber of the heart from the right upper does not close properly, causing blood to flow backwards. (Singh, 4/2)

In other news —

Modern Healthcare: Joint Commission Considers Stronger Suicide Prevention Standards
The Joint Commission is considering whether its hospital accreditation standards should include more requirements tied to suicide prevention efforts.The accrediting body already has standards intended to prevent suicide among patients treated for behavioral health conditions once they are discharged. However, there are no standards for other patients related to detailed safety planning, including how individuals are transitioned to outpatient care providers and how access to lethal weapons is restricted. (Devereaux, 4/2)

CIDRAP: Alaskapox Virus Renamed As Borealpox Virus
The Alaska Department of Health (ADH) announced that it has been consulting with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to change the name of the Alaskapox virus to “borealpox virus,” with the renaming taking effect with the start of April. ADH said the name references the ecosystem where the virus was found in humans and small animal reservoirs. (Schnirring, 4/2)

The Hill: COVID Subcommittee Chair Asks Top Science Journal Editors To Testify On Relationship With Federal Government
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chair of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, issued letters to the editors of three major science journals on Tuesday, asking them to testify on the relationship between their publications and the federal government. ... In his letters, Wenstrup stated that the hearing would be to examine “whether these journals granted the federal government inappropriate access into the scientific review or publishing process.” (Choi, 4/2)

Reuters: Lawsuit Demands Menthol Cigarette Ban Following White House Delays
The U.S. government was sued on Tuesday by anti-smoking groups that want a ban on menthol cigarettes and blame the Biden administration for delaying it. ... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2022 had proposed banning menthol. Health officials originally planned to publish a final rule by last August, and after missing that deadline pushed back the target date to last month. (Stempel, 4/2)

Reuters: Parents Lose Bid To Revive Claims They Overpaid For Abbott Formula Pre-Recall
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of a proposed class action by parents who say they overpaid for Abbott Laboratories' (ABT.N) baby formula before one of its plants was shuttered for unsanitary conditions. The parents had urged the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to conclude they had legal standing to sue Abbott, arguing that they would not have paid the purchase price for Similac and other Abbott brands if they had known of the safety risks that led to the plant shutdown and a subsequent recall. (Raymond, 4/2)

Also —

KFF Health News: Attacks On Emergency Room Workers Prompt Debate Over Tougher Penalties
Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room. Physical violence is less common, she said, but has become a growing threat. Ravera, an ER nurse at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, recalled an incident in which an agitated patient wanted to leave. “Without any warning he just reached up, grabbed my glasses, and punched me in the face,” said Ravera, 54. “And then he was getting ready to attack another patient in the room.” (Parekh, 4/3)