Sarah Lynch, Binghamton University, State University of New York
The new over-the-counter pill is highly effective at preventing pregnancy but must be taken at the same time daily, which can be a limitation for some people.
The progestin-only pill Opill could be available in early 2024.
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With the approval of the first over-the-counter oral contraceptive, pharmacists stand to play an ever-increasing role in helping expand access to reproductive health care in the post-Roe era.
Allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood would help alleviate chronic blood supply shortages in the U.S.
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In 1983, during the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the US Food and Drug Administration made the decision to ban gay men from donating blood. Now, 40 years later, it is dropping that rule.
The long-awaited vaccine is a necessary tool in the fight against the most common respiratory viruses.
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As the government’s oldest consumer protection agency, the FDA has long butted up against drugmakers, activists and politicians. But undermining its work could be harmful to patient health and safety.
Mifepristone is used together with another pill, misoprostol, in medication abortions.
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Mifepristone’s safety in medication abortions has been well established over more than two decades, but legal wrangling leaves the future of the drug hanging in the balance.
The legal battle over mifepristone could have far-reaching effects on reproductive health care.
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If the ruling to reverse the use of mifepristone stands, it will not only severely restrict abortion access for women throughout the US – it will have far-reaching effects on health care.
Breast density is one of the factors that can influence whether people should pursue supplemental screening.
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Dense breast tissue is common and normal, but it can make cancer more difficult to detect. FDA requirements going into effect in September 2024 will dictate that patients be better informed about it.
A rash of pending lawsuits raises questions about the FDA’s approval of mifepristone two decades ago, whether the drug can be legally mailed and the constitutional right to interstate commerce.
The FDA advisory committee discussed vaccine safety, effectiveness of the current shots, potential seasonality of COVID-19 and more.
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Many questions remain about next steps for US vaccine policy. But the FDA advisory panel’s hearty endorsement of a single-composition COVID-19 vaccine represents a pivotal step.
Alzheimer’s disease is an incapacitating, progressive brain disorder that affects the lives of more than 6.5 million Americans.
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In clinical trials, lecanemab slowed disease progression by 27% and reduced the amount of plaque found in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.
The rule change has little to no effect in states where abortion is banned or restricted.
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The FDA’s allowance for pharmacies to dispense mifepristone will broaden access to the two-pill mifepristone-misoprostol regimen of medication abortion, which is 95% to 98% effective.
The pharma industry warned that if proposed new prescription price guidelines go ahead, drug launches would be delayed and ‘Canadian patients will be deprived of potentially life-saving new medicines.’
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The pharma industry claims lower prescription drug prices will mean less access to new medication for Canadians. It’s an old threat that pits profits against patients’ rights to affordable drugs.
Only one antiviral medication is approved by the FDA for RSV treatment, and it is administered through a nebulizer.
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Vinaya Manchaiah, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Cory Portnuff, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
They are cheaper to buy and don’t require a doctor’s prescription. But OTC hearing aids come with some limitations.
The over-the-counter birth control pill will not require medical examinations or prescriptions prior to purchase.
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Some states already allow pharmacists to provide birth control to patients with a prescription. But FDA approval of an over-the-counter birth control pill could greatly expand access.
Technique matters when it comes to getting a sufficient amount of virus for a rapid test.
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Rapid tests can be an incredibly useful tool for early detection of COVID-19. Unfortunately, they sometimes leave people with more questions than answers.
Regulations in the US and EU are intended to ensure that cosmetics and other personal-care products are safe, but the two continents approach the issue in different ways.
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Oona Freudenthal, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
From miscarriages to cancer, poor regulation of cosmetics in the US have taken a devastating toll on consumers’ lives. Are European consumers any safer?
Professor and Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute & Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco