What We’re Reading: Opioid Treatment Restrictions Lifted; OTC Birth Control Pill Access; Pulse Oximeter Bias

US Permanently Eases Some Opioid Treatment Restrictions

The Biden administration announced this week that pandemic-era policies that made it easier for patients to receive opioid addiction treatment will continue permanently, according to Axios. Patients previously had to go in person to an opioid treatment clinic each day to receive methadone treatment, which was relaxed during the pandemic to help reduce infection risk; these flexibilities increased treatment rates and patient satisfaction without notable increases in methadone diversion. Consequently, the new policy will allow patients to take home doses of methadone, and patients will also be able to start on methadone or buprenorphine via telehealth. This is the first time in 20 years that the federal government has updated the rules for clinics that provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.

Price a Major Question for First OTC Birth Control Pill

The Biden administration is facing pressure from Democrats and reproductive health groups to make sure the first OTC birth control pill is affordable when it hits the market, according to The Hill. Because Opill is projected to hit the market sometime during the first quarter of 2024, HHS is reviewing how best to ensure coverage and access to OTC products. There is growing concern that a patchwork of state policies could hinder the potential benefits of Opill as the federal agency has not yet made any decisions. Consequently, representatives from reproductive health groups are pushing the Biden administration to clarify that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also requires coverage for OTC products. Additionally, Democratic governors called on HHS to expand private insurance coverage to OTC products and adopt a similar policy in federally funded health insurance plans, like Medicare and Medicaid. Opill’s manufacturer Perrigo Company and retailers will also determine affordability, as the manufacturer will set a list price but individual retailers will decide what it will cost customers.

FDA Renews Debate Over Pulse Oximeters’ Accuracy in Dark Skin

An FDA expert panel on Friday is set to resume the discussion over how to make pulse oximeters more accurate for people with darker skin, according to CNN. There is growing evidence that the devices do not reliably detect low oxygen levels in Black patients, resulting in delayed care, missed hypoxemia diagnoses, and possibly worse outcomes; the technology can misjudge oxygen saturation in patients with darker skin as it measures the amount of light that passes through a patient’s skin to estimate the amount of oxygen in red blood cells. Consequently, the FDA is proposing updated standards for clinical studies to promote a more inclusive, representative patient population. The agency is planning to use at least 24 participants who span the Monk Skin Tone scale, a 10-shade metric, to improve consistency and analyze performance differences. The FDA noted that it is facing increasing pressure to fix this problem that has become emblematic of racial bias prevalent in medicine.