FDA Launches Undercover Sting Operations To Target Juul Devices That Are Popular With Teens
So far the agency has sent warning letters to 40 retailers that it says violated the law banning sales of vaping devices to anyone under 21. “We don’t yet fully understand why these products are so popular among youth,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said. “But it’s imperative that we figure it out, and fast."
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Cracks Down On ‘Juuling’ Among Teenagers
Recognizing what it called “the troubling reality” that electronic cigarettes have become “wildly popular with kids,” the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced a major crackdown on the vaping industry, particularly on the trendy Juul devices, aimed at curbing sales to young people. The agency said it had started an undercover sting operation this month targeting retailers of Juuls, including gas stations, convenience stores and online retailers like eBay. So far, the F.D.A. has issued warning letters to 40 that it says violated the law preventing sales of vaping devices to anyone under 21. (Zernike, 4/24)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Medicare Will Require Hospitals To Post Prices Online
Medicare will require hospitals to post their standard prices online and make electronic medical records more readily available to patients, officials said Tuesday. The program is also starting a comprehensive review of how it will pay for costly new forms of immunotherapy to battle cancer. (4/24)
The Washington Post:
Google Is Promoting The DEA’s ‘Take Back Day’ On Its Homepage To Help Combat The Opioid Crisis
Google said that it will use its homepage and maps starting Wednesday to promote a Drug Enforcement Administration project to help combat the opioid epidemic, as regulators and lawmakers call for more direct intervention by Silicon Valley to address the drug crisis. Underneath the Google search bar, the company will promote the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, an initiative that encourages people to anonymously take unused medications to a collection site where they can be safely discarded. The semiannual event will take place Saturday. (Shaban, 4/25)
Stat:
Supreme Court Rules That Patent Reviews Detested By Pharma Are Constitutional
In a blow to the pharmaceutical industry, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a controversial procedure for reviewing patent disputes does not violate the constitutional rights of patent holders. Known as inter partes reviews, these are heard before a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office appeals board, not a court, and anger drug makers because they are easier and faster to pursue than typical patent lawsuits. Drug companies have argued patents are private property that may be revoked only by a federal court and the review process violates a constitutional right to be heard by a court and jury. (Silverman, 4/24)
Stateline:
What Care For The Criminally Insane Can Teach Us About Mental Health Treatment
About 14 percent of state and federal prisoners (about 200,000) and 26 percent of jailed inmates (about 190,000) have serious mental illnesses, according to a report last year by the U.S. Department of Justice. Prison and jail officials don’t have the resources to treat them, and many deteriorate behind bars. By contrast, in some states those judged to be criminally insane receive better mental health treatment than practically anybody else — including people who have never committed a crime. (Ollove, 4/25)