Congress May Reform FDA Oversight of OTC Drugs
The House Energy & Commerce committee is considering reforming the FDA’s process for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. According to RAPS, a bill could create a new user fee program, which would increase funding for the FDA’s OTC program. Through the current program, OTC medicines conform to a monograph instead of undergoing individual review. A new proposal would let FDA collect an annual fee from OTC manufacturers and one-time fees for changing a monograph. Currently, annual funding for the OTC program is $8 million, but the agency expects it would collect $22 million in the first year under the new program.
San Diego Hepatitis Outbreak Claims 16 Lives
A hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego that was declared a local public health emergency on September 1 has caused 16 deaths. So far there are 421 confirmed cases and the number of hospitalizations has reached 292, reported the Los Angeles Times. The city has started a new sidewalk and street cleaning campaign using high-pressure sprayers with bleach-infused water, plus hand hygiene is being promoted to stem the outbreak. Since the incubation period for hepatitis A can be up to 50 days, it may take months to see signs of the effect of the campaign.
Rapid Growth of Catholic Hospitals in the US
Between 2001 and 2016, the number of Catholic-sponsored or Catholic-affiliated hospitals has increased by 22%, and the trend is impacting reproduction health. STAT reported that a study found the growth in Catholic hospitals has decreased rates of inpatient abortions, tubal ligations, or sterilization. The study found that there was not a statistically significant increase at Catholic hospitals in complications from miscarriages or sterilization procedures nor any effect on the number of caesarean sections performed. In 2016, 14.5% of all US acute care hospitals were Catholic-sponsored or Catholic-affiliated.
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
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Insufficient Data, Disparities Plague Lung Cancer Risk Factor Documentation
September 24th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the senior author of a study published in the September 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® on the importance of adequate and effective lung cancer risk factor documentation to determine a patient's eligibility for screening.
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Patients With RA in Remission Withdrawing From TNF Inhibition Show Flare Increases
December 8th 2023New data presented at ACR 2023 highlighted the differences in rates of flares and Boolean 2.0 remission rates compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis who continued a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).
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New Insights on Breast Cancer Outcomes Among Sexual, Gender Minorities
December 7th 2023Despite there being a great demand for data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity in the cancer space, individuals who identify as a sexual and gender minority remain poorly represented.
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