Health Care — White House wants naloxone in federal buildings

Presented by CVS Health — The first update to federal building safety guidelines since 2009 is aimed at making the opioid reversal drug more accessible. 

View Online Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  HHS calls for naloxone in federal buildings  The first update to federal building safety guidelines since 2009 is aimed at making the opioid reversal drug more accessible.  © AP The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the General Services Administration, which oversees federal real estate, are calling for all federal buildings to include the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone onsite, alongside automated external defibrillators (AEDs).   It's the first change to federal building safety guidance in nearly 15 years. The 2009 guidance called for AEDs onsite to treat people having heart attacks.     Under the new guidance, AEDs would be converted into "safety stations" that contain either an opioid reversal agent like Narcan or hemorrhagic control component like Stop the Bleed, or both.    Naloxone can help reduce opioid overdose deaths and when administered timely, usually within minutes of the first signs of an opioid overdose, can counter the overdose effects.    "Far too many lives are being lost to overdose. Fortunately, we know what it takes to save people. Safety stations save lives," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. "We must continue to do everything we can to make sure the necessary tools are quickly and easily available so anyone can respond to an emergency situation - anytime, anywhere. It's about empowering everyone to play a role in saving lives when it counts the most."    Naloxone nasal spray is now available over-the-counter, making it more readily accessible to the general public.    There were nearly 107,000 reported fatal overdoses in 2021 primarily driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl.   Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.   Programming note: We'll be off next week, but back to the regular schedule on Jan. 2.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: FDA warns of fake Ozempic shots The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an advisory Thursday warning customers not to use counterfeit Ozempic shots found in the drug supply chain. The administration said it is investigating occurrences of fake semaglutide — the drug found in weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy — and said it has already seized thousands of units of the counterfeit product. The agency advised wholesalers, retail pharmacies, …  Full Story CDC director sends holiday warning: Stay home if you're sick The director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told people to stay home if they are sick in a holiday message Friday. "We continue to see a lot of respiratory illness right now. Flu, COVID and RSV are spreading in most of the country," Mandy Cohen said in a Friday video posted to the CDC's account on X, formerly known as Twitter. "And as we gather with family and friends this time of year, I want to give you a few reminders," …  Full Story Judge says DeSantis repeatedly spread false information in push for transgender health care ban A federal judge said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has repeatedly spread false information about doctors mutilating children's genitals in a push for a ban against transgender health care to minors, even though there have been no documented cases of such procedures. Judge Robert Hinkle made the remarks during the final day of a trial, saying he would decide "as quick as I can" in the new year on whether it illegally targets …  Full Story A MESSAGE FROM CVS HEALTH CVS Health: Delivering the future of health care CVS Health is helping seniors connect with primary and virtual care, mental health and wellness services and prescription drug cost savings, all while offering a more personalized experience. Learn how CVS Health is delivering health care that's convenient, personalized and affordable. In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Delaware hospital system will pay $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations of billing fraud DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware's largest hospital system will pay more than $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations by its former compliance officer that it provided kickbacks to outside doctors in return for patient referrals, resulting in fraudulent Medicaid billing. The settlement announced Friday comes nearly seven years after … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Bold changes are in store for Medi-Cal in 2024, but will patients benefit? (KFF Health News)  How the anti-vaccine movement is gaining power in statehouses (Washington Post)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Venture capital is still pouring into drug research despite Medicare price negotiation (Stat)  Drugmakers slow-walk new products to dodge Biden's pricing law (Bloomberg)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Trump rails after poll shows Haley within 4 points in New Hampshire A poll released this week found Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley trails former President Trump by 4 points in New Hampshire, prompting … Read more These cities and towns are most dangerous in the US, study finds After crunching the numbers, the large city with the highest cost of crime was found in Alabama. Read more What People Think  Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Delaying the menthol ban is another blow to racial health equity The invisible enemy in Ukraine? Superbugs     You're all caught up. See you next time!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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