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What We’re Reading: Monkeypox Health Emergency Renewed; Amoxicillin Shortage; Weight Loss Drug for Teens
The HHS renewed the national public health emergency for the monkeypox outbreak in the United States; more demand for amoxicillin has led to a nationwide shortage as respiratory illnesses continue to spread; a drug already approved for weight loss in adults has demonstrated promise in teenagers aged 12 to 17 years.
Health Emergency Renewed for Monkeypox in the United States
HHS announced that it is renewing the national public health emergency for the monkeypox outbreak, according to The Hill. The continued consequences of the outbreak in multiple states were cited as the reason to prolong the declared health emergency, as well as the need to maintain the flow of data and allow studies on vaccine effectiveness to continue. This news comes as new studies have found that monkeypox can spread prior to symptoms appearing, according to Reuters, which challenges the previously held belief that monkeypox is primarily spread by people already sick.
Shortage of Amoxicillin Caused by Increased Respiratory Illness
A shortage of amioxicillin has been caused by an increase in respiratory illnesses in children throughout the country, according to The Washington Post. Pharmacists say that amoxicillin in some form is still available, but parents may have to visit multiple pharmacies or accept a different strength or form than originally prescribed due to the shortage. The shortage is mostly affecting supplies of the liquid version and some chewable tablet forms. The shortage may last only as long as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season does, as the shortage is in large part due to the influx of children admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of RSV.
Weight Loss Drug Helps Teenagers With Obesity
A clinical trial found that teenagers with obesity were able to lose weight when using semaglutide (Wegovy), which reduces appetite, according to NBC News. The study found that more than 40% of the participants, aged 12 to 17 years, who received the drug and lifestyle counseling saw a reduction in their body mass index by 20% or more. Semaglutide has previously been found to benefit adults who have type 2 diabetes and has been proven to help weight loss in adults, with the FDA approving the drug for weight loss in 2021. Long-term effectiveness of the drug has yet to be determined.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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