Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: ADHD Med Shortage Shows No Sign Of Easing; Why Are Pro-Life Groups Targeting PEPFAR?
A 27-year-old patient of mine has taken Adderall since early adolescence. A successful bonds trader who works long hours, he gives Adderall part of the credit for his success in business. (Dr. Marc Siegel, 9/5)
The debate over PEPFAR kicked off in May when the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, published a report that, without any substantiation, accused PEPFAR of 鈥減romoting鈥 abortion. That same report callously referred to H.I.V. as a 鈥渓ifestyle disease鈥 and framed antiretroviral therapy as a partisan talking point. (Richard W. Bauer, 9/5)
President Biden recently announced the first 10 drugs that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare. They include drugs to treat diabetes, heart disease, blood cancer, blood clots and rheumatoid arthritis 鈥 diseases that affect millions of Americans. (Larry Levitt, 9/6)
The alcohol industry has been thriving despite a streak of threats: the legalization of marijuana, a trade war with China that has hampered US exports, the rise of the sober-curious movement. Now a new risk, one few investors or companies are publicly acknowledging, could pressure sales: weight loss drugs. (Lisa Jarvis and Leticia Miranda, 9/1)
For most of my adult life, I鈥檝e struggled with an opiate addiction of some form. But I鈥檓 one of the lucky ones, because I鈥檓 still here. The dark descent into the nefarious underworld of heroin addiction is well documented, but the challenging and deeply personal world of recovery and hope is rarely seen. (Miranda Stern, 9/5)