What We're Reading: Planned Parenthood Exit; New Cure For Tuberculosis; Opioid Distribution Change

Planned Parenthood Sets Exit From Family Planning Program

Scientists Discover New Cure for the Deadliest Strain of Tuberculosis

Doctors Can Change Opioid Prescribing Habits, but Progress Comes in Small Doses

Planned Parenthood announced Wednesday it will soon leave Title X, the federal family planning program, barring a court decision to delay Trump administration rules that bar clinics from referring patients for abortions, Associated Press reported. HHS stated the agency's willingness to accommodate clinics that are making efforts to comply with upcoming rule changes, but Planned Parenthood's spokeswoman Erica Sackin stated the organization’s intent to leave the program, due to regulations set to take effect September 18.A small trial consisting of 109 patients has shown a groundbreaking success rate of 90% against a deadly strain of drug-resistant tuberculosis. This particular XDR strain is involved in about 30,000 cases in over 100 countries, with a cure rate of only 34%. The New York Times reported that the FDA has endorsed the new approach by approving the use of 3 pills: pretomanid, bedaquiline, and linezolid. The treatment can soon come into use worldwide. Narcotic prescriptions have been reduced by nearly one-third since October 2017, after growing concern about the opioid crisis, Kaiser Health News reports. Surgeons stated the transition of narcotic prescriptions have changed dramatically since the beginning of their careers as there was little or no information recommended to them about pill distribution to patients after procedures. The Michigan OPEN guidelines now recommends for no more than 10 pills, equivalent to 5 mg of oxycodone, for an operation such as a minor hernia repair, as opposed to the 29 pills prescribed in the past.