FDA last week approved the first over the counter (OTC) birth control pill, which could significantly increase access to contraception nationwide, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from California/Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, and Maryland.

• California/Rhode Island: CVS Caremark and GoodRx last week announced a new collaborative aimed at reducing out-of-pocket drug costs for CVS Caremark members. Under a new Caremark Cost Saver Program, which will launch Jan. 1, 2024, commercially insured plan members will automatically receive GoodRx's lower cost pricing for generic prescription medications. The amount paid for these prescriptions to apply to members' deductible and out-of-pocket thresholds. "This collaborative prescription discount solution enables us to dynamically shop for the best price on (consumers') behalf," said David Joyner, EVP at CVS Health and president of CVS Caremark. "By lowering out-of-pocket costs for our clients' members, Caremark Cost Saver will help patients afford to take their medicine as directed." (Commins, HealthLeaders, 7/13)
• District of Columbia: The Biden administration last week announced new efforts to reduce children's exposure to lead in older homes and childcare facilities, including stricter limits on lead-based paint dust. According to the New York Times, lead is a neurotoxin that can lead to brain and nervous system damage, particularly in young children. "There is no safe level of lead," said Michal Freedhoff, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution. "Even low levels are detrimental to children's health, and this proposal would bring us closer to eradicating lead-based paint hazards from homes and child care facilities across the U.S. once and for all." If the proposed regulation is finalized, EPA estimates that it would reduce lead exposure for as many as 500,000 young children every year. (Davenport, New York Times, 7/12)
• Maryland: FDA last week approved HRA Pharma's Opill as the first OTC birth control pill, a move that is expected to increase access to contraception nationwide. "Today's approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy." In addition, Julia Cron, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, called the approval "a game changer in terms of access." According to Perrigo, which owns HRA Pharma, Opill is expected to available in stores and from online retailers in the United States by early 2024. Although a price for the medication has not yet been set, HRA Pharma has said that it is committed to ensuring the birth control pill is "not only accessible but affordable for all women in need." (González, Axios, 7/13; Rubin, Axios, 7/13; Belluck, New York Times, 7/14)