Richard Payerchin

The ACIP on September 19 narrowly voted against requiring a prescription to get the shot but urged more detailed discussion of vaccine risks during shared decision making conversations.

Discussions on day 1 focused on the difference between the MMR and MMR+V vaccines, with clinicians calling for inclusion of real-world experience in any ACIP decision.

Regardless of decisions made during the ACIP meeting, health insurance plans will continue to cover shots recommended by ACIP as of Sept 1.

The AAP acknowledges challenges for families but emphasizes mandatory vaccination as crucial for safe school environments.

HHS secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr, today formally agreed with the recent ACIP recommendation to eliminate the already largely discontinued preservative.

The new, 7-member committee was clear on its support for the mAb for infants and the essential role of vaccination against influenza but wants an alternative preservative to thimerosal.

A medical director of antimicrobial stewardship at a large metropolitan health system highlights the dangers of AMR and how she believes the pharmaceutical industry could help.

A family medicine specialist who works with cancer survivorship highlights findings of a study that illustrate how effective screening is and how treatment has changed.

The agency estimates that limiting nicotine levels could lead to 1.8 million fewer tobacco-related deaths by 2060 and health care savings of $1.1 trillion a year over the next 40 years.

Murthy's advisory outlines evidence for the cancer-alcohol relationship and calls for greater efforts to increase public awareness of the risks from beer, wine, and spirits.

The proposal would expand antiobesity drug access for more than 7 million people with Medicare and Medicaid coverage.

Little action has been taken by state medical boards against clinicians who spread unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19, vaccines, or other pandemic-related topics.

"Start Preparing for Respiratory Virus Season," an AMA-CDC joint webinar, reminds clinicians that the influence is in their hands and offers tips on how to use it.

A CPT code for time spent petitioning insurance companies to approve patient prescriptions has been proposed before; sentiment was not unanimous.

Reasons for not getting a COVID-19 booster ranged from worry about taking time off to believing it won't add any additional protection from infection.

Despite approved funding and a mandate to CMS to create 1000 new residency slots in "primary care health professional shortage areas," progress is extremely slow.

Less than 15% of US adults in the population aged 65 years and older achieve recommended weekly levels of physical activity and strengthening, according to HHS.

Primary care clinicians should screen all adults for the 3 mental health conditions to ensure timely referral for appropriate treatment.

The AAFP and other national medical groups endorsed the warning from Surgeon General Murthy that social media is fueling the mental health crisis among young Americans.

The AHRQ, Mayo Clinic, AMA, and National Academy of Medicine each recommend actions steps for all organizational levels to help build more supportive environments.

Sanofi is the third key insulin maker to announce reductions in the cost of its products, joining other giants Eli Lilly and Co and Novo Nordisk.

The announcement follows by 2 weeks a similar plan from Eli Lilly to reduce patient costs as the Biden administration touts effects of new laws on drug prices.

For a health care systems that is " wildly out of balance and in critical need of reform,” the tracking tool can benchmark and measure change over time.

The AAFP wants assurances in policies to avoid disruptions for doctors and patients even though HHS says it plans to preserve some flexibilities.

Physiatrist Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD, highlights the state of long COVID management in the US and says primary care is crucial in diagnosing and treating the new condition.

The NIH has awarded $11 million for evaluation of a 5-minute, largely visual screening test for dementia intended for use in primary care practice.

Respiratory syncytial virus is an age-old winter foe that could affect many of your patients this year. Take a minute and scan these facts for a refresher.

Physician morale continues to sink as staffing challenges and administrative burdens increase with primary care seeing "devastating effects."

A small-town physician offers words of encouragement to his peers.