Healthcare – A major hurdle to over-the-counter naloxone
We should all try to use our phones less, but not so much that it’s unreachable. Such is the case for the rapper known as Ye, whose ex-lawyers want him to Run newspaper ads So he realizes that they don’t represent him anymore.
In health news, Moderna is jumping into the RSV vaccine market for older adults. But first, take a look at the FDA’s push for over-the-counter naloxone.
Welcome to overnight healthcareWhere we keep up with the latest moves related to politics and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we are Nathaniel Wicksell And Joseph Choi. Someone send you this newsletter?
Those most at risk will not be helped by over-the-counter naloxone
Public health advocates warn that the Biden administration’s efforts to make some forms of opioid overdose reversals available over-the-counter will likely have little impact on the people who need them most.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last year began encouraging drug companies to apply to switch some forms of the drug away from prescription-only, a move advocates have long pressed as a way to increase access to a life-saving drug.
- Naloxone is currently only available as a prescription, although all 50 states have found workarounds to make the drug available at a pharmacy without a prescription.
- However, people who need naloxone the most are less likely to go to the pharmacy and ask for it.
The main issue: Only two companies given rapid priority review are selling naloxone without a prescription, and harm reduction advocates say cost is a major barrier.
The FDA is likely to approve naloxone as a nasal spray, which costs significantly more for the harm reduction groups than for the injection group.
“We’re really excited to get OTC [over-the-counter] product on the horizon. “But there is a huge, formidable caveat,” said Maya Doe Simkins, co-director of the nonprofit group Remedy Alliance/For the People. “Nose sprays are just, you know, 10 or 100 more expensive than generic sprays.”
Veterans in a suicidal crisis can now request free care
Veterans going through a suicidal crisis can now seek emergency care at any medical facility at no cost to them.
Starting Tuesday, veterans will have free access to inpatient or residential crisis care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said in a statement. press release last week.
- The VA says the program will relieve veterans of the burden of exorbitant treatment costs and provide acute access to suicide care for up to 9 million veterans not enrolled in the federal administration.
- “Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the world-class emergency health care they deserve – no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they are enrolled in Veterans Care,” said Dennis McDonough, Minister of Veterans Affairs. . statement, adding that “expansion of care will save lives.”
Regardless of VA registration status, veterans who have been discharged from active duty after more than 24 months and who have not been dishonorably discharged are eligible for the program.
Also eligible are those who have served more than 100 days in a combat operation or those who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse in the military.
Suicide prevention is a top priority for Veterans Assistance. The suicide rate for veterans in the United States is much higher than for the rest of the adult population, although the number of veteran suicides has begun to decline in the past two years.
More Americans Putting Down Medicare Because of Cost: Gallup
The share of Americans who have postponed Medicare payments due to cost has grown in the past year, according to a new Gallup poll.
reconnaissance, Posted on Tuesdayfound that 38 percent of respondents said they had postponed scheduled Medicare payments because of cost, an increase of 12 points from the previous two years.
The number also marks a new high with previous highs in 2014 and 2019, when 33 percent of those surveyed said they had postponed scheduled Medicare payments because of the cost.
Terrible fears: Twenty-seven percent of respondents said that delayed treatment in their family was for a condition considered “very” or “somewhat” serious, while 11 percent of those surveyed said delayed treatment was for a condition considered “not very serious” or “not at all.”
Gallup’s latest poll was conducted from November 9 to December 2 with a total of 1,020 respondents. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Moderna says the RSV vaccine is effective in older adults
The company announced Tuesday that its Moderna vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is 83 percent effective in preventing lower respiratory tract disease in adults 60 and older in a large clinical trial.
Based on the results, Moderna said it plans to submit the vaccine for FDA approval in the first half of 2023.
Moderna said the vaccine was 83.7% effective in preventing two main symptoms, such as fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
The company said the vaccine was 82.4 percent effective in preventing acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases with three or more symptoms.
Why is it important: There is no vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus in adults or children. In healthy adults and older children, RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms that resolve with moderate rest and self-care. But it can lead to severe disease in infants and the elderly.
The announcement puts Moderna in a crowded market for RSV vaccines for seniors, including giants GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.
Both companies have applied for FDA approval for their RSV vaccines and expect decisions in May.
Walgreens raises the limit on available online pain medications for children
Walgreens raised the limit it placed on online purchases of children’s pain medications after it received an oversupply to meet growing demand nationwide.
Retail and pharmacy chain announce Last month, it needed to limit the amount of baby pain relief products a consumer could buy to six per online transaction to avoid overbuying. The company said its retailers across the country were having problems catering to suppliers due to increased demand.
- But Walgreens said in statment On Monday it was able to remove the limit as a result of increasing its inventory of over-the-counter children’s fever-reducing products.
- “Walgreens has worked diligently with our suppliers to ensure we have sufficient supplies to meet customer demand nationwide,” the statement read.
CVS also announced a limit on purchasing children’s pain relievers online and in stores, to two per customer, at the same time Walgreens announced last month.
Many children across the country have been affected by what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called the “triple double” of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
what we read
- Sickle cell treatment brings a mixture of anxiety and hope (New York times)
- Airplane toilets offer new hope to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s diverse research (Politico)
- 988 Lifeline is seeing an increase in usage and funding in the early months (NPR)
State by state
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