Closer Look
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
An FDA advisory panel's recent conclusion that Sudafed and other over-the-counter decongestants don't work may have come as a surprise to anyone who suffers from the occasional head cold. But to many in the drug industry, the writing had been on the wall for years. In the words of PillPack co-founder T.J. Parker: "Didn't everyone know this?"
The controversy has spotlighted a long-running dilemma with the country's drug approval system, STAT's Matt Herper argues in a new story: Once drugs are approved, they're generally approved forever, unless a specific and pressing issue forces the FDA to reevaluate decades-old decisions.
Another key issue, Matt writes, is that there simply isn't the will or the funding to conduct post-approval clinical trials that could help avoid Sudafed-type drugs from remaining on the market even when it's clear there's no data to support their use. But major changes might require a full overhaul of the drug approval system and potentially an act of Congress. As Matt writes: Don't hold your breath. Read more.
MENTAL HEALTH
Higher suicide risks among health care workers
It's no secret that health care jobs are hard on mental health. But as well documented as the physician mental health crisis is, no study has ever quantified the relative risk of suicide death across the entire spectrum of health workers — until now.
A new study of nearly 2 million employed people within and outside of the health industry demonstrates that those in health care fields die by suicide more than 50% more often than those in other professions. The results were especially pronounced among women — suggesting, especially in a female-majority profession, that the psychological burden of health care delivery falls more heavily on women than men.
The results also highlight the burden of non-physician roles, the paper's lead author said, especially given that roles like health technicians, nurses, and support workers are often lower-paying, more repetitive, and provide fewer opportunities for career advancement. Read more from STAT's Annalisa Merelli.
health
Remembering the designer behind ubiquitous U.S. nutrition labels
There may be no graphic designer whose work you've interacted with more than Burkey Belser, best known for creating the uber-familiar black-and-white nutrition labels found on cereal boxes, candy bars, and just about any other packaged food item.
Belser, who died this week at 76, has no doubt left his mark on U.S. food packaging. His passing may turn out to coincide with the beginning of a new era in U.S. food packaging — one in which companies marketing particularly unhealthy products could be forced to include warnings far starker than a back-of-the box label that lists grams of added sugar or overall carbohydrates.
Those aggressive labels, which Mexico's government attempted to mandate four years ago, could soon be headed stateside, as STAT's Nicholas Florko recently reported. And the multinational companies like Unilever and Coca-Cola that have challenged the new Mexican law seem poised to do so in the U.S. — if the government ever tries to enact similar regulations. Read more here.
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