The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Tuesday that it seized over 379 million doses of potentially deadly fentanyl in 2022, including more than 50.6 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder.
Why it matters: Fentanyl, a highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin, is considered the deadliest drug threat in the U.S. — and a growing threat to teenagers.
The number of Americans on Medicaid is expected to surpass 100 million as early as next month, according to a new projection from the Foundation for Government Accountability.
Why it matters: The record uninsured rate — achieved through both ACA subsidies and Medicaid expansion — has been a point of pride for the Biden administration, particularly in light of stark health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic.
There's plenty for health care interest groups in Congress' year-end spending package, but some had to make significant concessions: There will be no pandemic commission, doctors will have to swallow some Medicare payment cuts and FDA oversight of diagnostic tests will not change.
Why it matters: The health care riders in the year-end spending package reflect which health care interests have clout, and which issues lawmakers want to punt into next year, when Congress will be divided and deals may be more elusive.
The arm of the FDA that oversees tobacco products has "struggled to function as a regulator" and has been "forced to operate primarily in a reactive mode" a report released Monday by the Reagan-Udall Foundation found.
Why it matters: It is the second independent report that FDA commissioner Robert Califf asked for last summer and comes on the heels of a scathing assessment, also from Reagan-Udall., which found deep cultural and systemic problems at FDA were contributing to vulnerabilities in the U.S. food system.
A man who threatened to kill CDC director Rochelle Walensky has pleaded guilty to "making threats in interstate commerce," federal prosecutors said Monday.
Details: Robert Wiser Bates told FBI agents he called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, to leave threatening voicemails for Walensky in July 2021 that stated "he would kill Dr. Anthony Fauci as well," per a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Food and Drug Administration advisers will hold a key meeting next month to discuss the state of the pandemic and whether COVID vaccines need to be modified again to better limit the fast-changing virus.
The big picture: Health experts say the Jan. 26 meeting, announced on Friday, will sketch out a long-term strategy that responds to new strains and shifting threats.
Health systems and pharmacies are running out of antibiotics like amoxicillin and other commonly used drugs just as the worst flu season in more than a decade is colliding with RSV and a rebound of COVID cases.
Why it matters: It highlights the U.S. vulnerabilities, yet again, when it comes to its ability to supply some of the most basic health care products — even children's Motrin.
The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the baby formula shortage overshadowed the COVID pandemic in generating interest among registered voters this year, per a Morning Consult analysis shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: Americans appeared ready to move on after two years of pandemic news and seized on other big health care story lines, Ricky Zipp, health data reporter at Morning Consult, told Axios.
