Free The Pill — and make it free; punishing opioid-pushing execs; & hoarding monkeypox drugs

Opinion and perspective curated by First Opinion editor Patrick Skerrett ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Health Care Inc., a new weekly STAT newsletter, launches on Monday. Anchored by reporter Bob Herman, it will follow the flow of money through the health care industry. Don't miss the first edition — sign up here. Free the pill — and make it free By Halle Tecco JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images Making the birth control pill available over the counter makes sense given its safety profile — and the need for access in a post-Roe world. Read More My son died of an Oxy overdose. Drug company execs who are responsible should be sent to jail By Ed Bisch Matt Rourke/AP Purdue Pharma may be the "face" of the opioid overdose epidemic, but it was created and sustained by many other companies. Read More Monkeypox patients should not be left to suffer when an FDA-approved drug could help By Jay K. Varma and Joseph Osmundson Karen Ducey/Getty Images Tecovirimat (TOPXX), an FDA-approved drug, can be used to treat monkeypox. But it's almost impossible for people with the disease to get it. Read More Sponsor content by STAT Events From trials to triumph: The 2022 STAT Summit Join us as we host silo-breaking discussions on the most important topics in health care. Over two days this November, you'll hear from some of the leading minds in the industry. Don't miss out, and enjoy early-bird pricing on your pass until July 22. Congress: Don't let hospital care at home shrivel when the public health emergency ends By Stephen Parodi and Ceci Connolly Arturo Holmes/Getty Images Hospital care at home is effective and rated highly by those who need it. Congress needs to guarantee that it is here to stay. Read More New competencies on diversity, equity, and inclusion for medical education across the continuum By David J. Skorton and Henri R. Ford Adobe New competencies on diversity, equity, and inclusion can help physicians provide effective and compassionate care for patients. Read More Empower primary care with adequate payments and technology By Hoangmai Pham and Michael O. Leavitt Children's Health in Dallas Primary care practices need to be supported so they can provide integrated care for physical, mental, and behavioral health. Read More STAT+: Value-based drug pricing: When does it work best? By Girisha Fernando Adobe Value-based drug pricing is not suitable in all situations. Here are four scenarios in which it is clearly appropriate. Read More FDA rule would facilitate prescription-to-OTC switches but nix a third class of drugs By Martha Rumore The FDA's proposed Additional Condition for Nonprescription Use drug category would expand the number of over-the-counter medicines. Read More Secrecy: A demon of gene therapy's past bedevils its future By Eric B. Kmiec Adobe The field of gene therapy was once severely damaged by not openly sharing essential information. It may be making the same mistake again. Read More Sunday, July 17, 2022       1 Exchange Pl, Suite 201, Boston, MA 02109 ©2022, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Email Preferences | Contact Us | View In Browser