Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Amazon's RXPass Offers Members Cheap Meds; Why So Many Doctors Know So Little About Obesity
Last week, Amazon injected itself further into the healthcare space by launching a new prescription drug program. Called RxPass, the service allows Amazon Prime members to fill prescriptions from a list of roughly 50 generic medications for a flat fee of $5 per month. (Elaine Parker, 1/31)
The truth is, doctors aren’t taught much about nutrition or weight management, and the lack of education means that the fatphobia that persists outside the clinic is amplified within it. And the consequences are dire: In my short time as a physician, I have taken care of several patients who went to their doctors with symptoms that warranted a standard work-up, but instead they were dismissed and told to lose weight. (Shirlene Obuobi, MD, 2/1)
The Food and Drug Administration vowed to make big changes to its food safety teams after the 2022 infant formula crisis exposed deep flaws in the agency’s culture, technology and structure. On Tuesday, the FDA finally revealed its fix: creating a new deputy commissioner for human foods. This is a major disappointment. (2/1)
The deaths of nearly 30 children under the age of 15 years from invasive strep A infections in the United Kingdom between September 2022 and January 2023, together with a rise in new invasive strep A infections in that country, made headlines around the world. In Kenya, about 100 children aged 5 and younger died from invasive strep A infections over the same period — which did not make headlines. (Dylan D. Barth and Mark E. Engel, 2/2)
China’s massive Covid-19 crisis, sparked in part by the country’s rolling back its strict zero-Covid policies in early December, has seen millions of people infected with SARS-CoV-2. Making the problem worse is that supplies of name-brand Covid-19 drugs are few and far between, and generics of these drugs won’t be available in China due to failed manufacturer negotiations. (Cathy Tie, 2/2)
A federal judge recently ruled against the University of Maryland Medical System in finding that it discriminated against a transgender Baltimore man, Jesse Hammons, by refusing to perform a hysterectomy that was recommended by his physician to treat gender dysphoria. (Rachel Box, 2/1)
