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On Aug. 9, 2025, the Insurance Department published a notice in the PA Bulletin to clarify expectations for insurers and pharmacy benefit managers around prescription drug access in light of the Rite Aid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and store closures.

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) received regulation 16A-5146 State Board of Nursing Opioid Prescription and Education and Organ Donation Education. This regulation updates certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) continuing education to include requirements for pain management, identification of addiction, and prescribing/dispensing of opioids.

In accordance with Executive Order 1996-1, all agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction publish semi-annual agendas of regulations under development or consideration. The most recent agenda, current as of July 1, 2025, was published on Aug. 9, 2025.

The Department of Aging's Alzheimer's, Dementia and Related Disorders Advisory Committee will hold quarterly public meetings through August 2026.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) Board of Trustees convened a hybrid meeting at PAMED headquarters to address key organizational priorities and upcoming initiatives.

On July 28, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it is inviting public comment to “better understand how consumers may have been exposed to false or unsupported claims about ‘gender-affirming care’ (GAC), especially as it relates to minors, and to gauge the harms consumers may be experiencing.” The 60-day comment period runs through September 26, 2025.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring safety labeling changes to all opioid pain medications to better emphasize and explain the risks associated with their long-term use.

Recently, the Joint Underwriting Association (JUA), Pennsylvania’s medical liability insurer of last resort, generously shared with PAMED requested premium increased from select insurance providers. It is important to remember that these are requested increases, not approved increases. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has yet to respond to any of these requested increases.

On July 30, 2025, the Pennsylvania Superior Court issued an encouraging venue-related ruling in Somerlot v. Jung. The court upheld a contractual forum selection clause that limited any lawsuit to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, thereby thwarting the Plaintiffs’ effort to have the case heard in uber-plaintiff-friendly Philadelphia.

The AMA, joined by PAMED and the Delaware and New Jersey medical societies, filed an amici curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on August 4, 2025 in the case of Berk v. Choy. Whether a state law providing that a complaint must be dismissed unless it is accompanied by an expert affidavit may be applied in federal court is the question before the court. Our brief argues that the state affidavit requirement should be applied in federal court.

PAMED is proud to announce a new partnership with Saint Joseph’s University. The agreement is twofold, including a tuition discount and the ability to earn CME credits through PAMED.

Pennsylvania Poison Centers are seeing increased call volume around both kratom and 7-OH consumption. Unregulated products marketed as “Kratom” and “7-hydroxymitragynine” (aka 7-OH) are increasingly sold online, in smoke shops, and at gas stations.

Exposure to harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause sickness in humans and animals

The Secretary of Health (Secretary) of the Department of Health is issuing this final order to temporarily schedule any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of the following Nitazene substances, their salts, isomers and salts of isomers.

The PA Department of Health’s (DOH) Comprehensive Healthcare Workforce Development Training Initiative (previously known as Implicit Bias Training) is launching the second phase of training.

Dexcom, Inc. is recalling certain Dexcom G6, G7, ONE, and ONE+ glucose monitoring receivers because a problem with the speaker may cause it to fail to make an alert sound when blood sugar is dangerously low or high.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. took action July 23, 2025, signing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations to remove the mercury-based preservative thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed in the United States.

As we head into the dog days of summer, PAMPAC continues working to increase physician engagement in the political process. As we have discussed previously, PAMED’s legislative advocacy efforts rely on the “behind the scenes” work PAMPAC does in the “political advocacy” space. Without a strong political voice, working to achieve legislative goals becomes increasingly more difficult.

PHC4’s Cardiac Procedures Report, released today, displays results for six cardiac procedures performed in Pennsylvania acute care hospitals from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2023. This report displays hospital-specific ratings for in-hospital mortality, readmissions, extended postoperative length of stay, volume of cases, and average hospital charges.

On July 16, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) offered a proposed rule concerning the physician fee schedule and other Medicare payment policies. The rule, if adopted, will take effect January 1, 2026.