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Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency order to suspend all use of a weedkiller that has been linked to serious health risks in fetuses, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia and Texas.
- District of Columbia: Earlier this month, EPA issued an emergency order to suspend the use of a weedkiller that has been linked to serious health issues in unborn babies. The weedkiller, which is called dimethyl tertachloroterephthalate or DCPA/Dacthal, is used on broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions. According to EPA, fetuses exposed to DCPA could experience low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in their lives. "DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately," said Michal Freedhoff, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety. "In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems." EPA said it plans to issue a notice of intent to cancel DCPA products permanently. If uncontested, the process could take several months, but if the manufacturer contests the move, it could take years to complete. (Tabuchi, New York Times, 8/6)
- District of Columbia: According to a new study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, almost 10% of people who were infected with the coronavirus while pregnant later developed long COVID. For the study, researchers analyzed 1,500 patients who had COVID-19 during pregnancy. Half of the participants were fully vaccinated when they enrolled. The participants were evaluated for long COVID symptoms for 10 months after their initial infection. The most reported symptoms were malaise, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues, which persisted even when participants were evaluated 10 months later. According to the researchers, this suggests that the symptoms weren't due to pregnancy or the postpartum period, but instead long COVID. "This is another opportunity to really draw attention to the fact that it's important for patients after pregnancy to continue to have ongoing care [if they have] chronic conditions that require specialty care and require handoffs to people who can really manage them," said Torri Metz, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Utah Health and one of the study's lead authors. (Malhi, Washington Post, 7/11)
- Texas: According to a new report from Vizient, drug prices are expected to grow by 3.81% next year. This estimate is higher than Vizient's estimate for 2024, which was 3.42%. Some of the factors influencing costs are expensive cell and gene therapies and growing demand for GLP-1 drugs. For example, Vizient data found that spending on semaglutide, which is marketed as Wegovy, increased by 77% over the last year. While GLP-1 drugs were originally used to treat diabetes and obesity, drug manufacturers have also gained approval for them to be used to reduce the risk of heart issues in overweight or obese adults. "Demand for GLP-1s will continue to increase as indications broaden," said Carina Dolan, Vizient's associate VP of pharmacoeconomics and market insights. Other factors that impact costs are ongoing drug shortages, which have reached record numbers. As drug shortages continue to grow, costs will increase as providers search for and potentially pay more for alternative medications. (Kacik, Modern Healthcare, 7/30)
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