Pharma and Tech: Feb. 9, 2023

Decisions by CVS and Optum Panicked Thousands of Their Sickest Patients
By Arthur Allen Pharmacy closures by two of the biggest home infusion companies point to grave shortages and dangers for patients who require IV nutrition to survive.

The Pill Club Reaches $18.3 Million Medicaid Fraud Settlement With California
By Don Thompson The online women’s pharmacy agreed to pay $15 million to the state Department of Justice and $3.3 million to the Department of Insurance over claims it overbilled Medi-Cal.

Montana Pharmacists May Get More Power to Prescribe
By Keely Larson Supporters of a proposed law say it would fill a health provider gap in rural areas, while doctors worry it will give pharmacists power outside the scope of their education.

FDA Experts Are Still Puzzled Over Who Should Get Which Covid Shots and When
By Arthur Allen A single booster seems to prevent death and hospitalization in most people, but protection from the current vaccines wanes within months. FDA experts say they need to know more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide the best long-term strategy.

What Older Americans Need to Know About Taking Paxlovid
By Judith Graham Covid-19 continues to hit seniors with disproportionate severity. Experts say Paxlovid is an effective therapy that is being underprescribed for people 65 and older.

The Biggest, Buzziest Conference for Health Care Investors Convenes Amid Fears the Bubble Will Burst
By Darius Tahir This year’s JPMorgan confab, the first since covid’s chilling effect on such gatherings, was full of energy and enthusiasm. But it was also marked by questions about the future of health care investment.

Some Addiction Treatment Centers Turn Big Profits by Scaling Back Care
By Renuka Rayasam and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

More Young Colorado Children Are Consuming Marijuana Despite Efforts to Stop Them
By Helen Santoro Lawmakers say they don’t plan to revise state regulations on the sale of edibles despite more kids 5 and under ingesting them.

Florida Gov. DeSantis Falsely Claims Bivalent Booster Boosts Chances of Covid Infection
By Yacob Reyes, PolitiFact Experts say the Florida governor's conclusion could not be drawn from the study he cited, adding that the research focused on health care workers, who are likelier to be exposed to covid and more likely to be vaccinated. Those findings should not be applied to the general public.

Latino Teens Are Deputized as Health Educators to Sway the Unvaccinated
By Heidi de Marco Some community health groups are training Latino teens to conduct outreach and education, particularly in places where covid vaccine fears linger.

A Technicality Could Keep RSV Shots From Kids in Need
By Arthur Allen The Vaccines for Children program, which buys more than half the pediatric vaccines in the U.S., may not cover the RSV shot for babies because it’s not technically a vaccine.

A Secret Weapon in Preventing the Next Pandemic: Fruit Bats
By Jim Robbins New research links habitat destruction with the spillover of viruses from animals to humans.

‘We Ain’t Gonna Get It’: Why Bernie Sanders Says His ‘Medicare for All’ Dream Must Wait
By Arthur Allen As he takes the reins of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, the independent from Vermont and implacable champion of “Medicare for All” maps out his strategy for negotiating with Republicans — and Big Pharma.

Will Your Smartphone Be the Next Doctor’s Office?
By Hannah Norman Entrepreneurs see smartphones as an opportunity to meet patients where they are. But many app-based diagnostic tools still need clinical validation to get buy-in from health care providers.

Por un tecnicismo, niños necesitados podrían no tener acceso a vacunas contra el VRS
By Arthur Allen El virus respiratorio sincitial afecta a bebés de todas las clases sociales, pero tiende a perjudicar más a los hogares pobres y hacinados

Lo que necesitan saber los adultos mayores sobre covid y Paxlovid
By Judith Graham Expertos dicen que la terapia de primera elección debe ser Paxlovid, un tratamiento antiviral para personas con covid leve a moderado con alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente.