Information technology
Resignation of VA's acting CIO casts doubt on EHR efforts | Health Data Management
Just a few weeks after Dr. David Shulkin was ousted from his post as VA secretary, Scott Blackburn resigned as acting CIO.
Government
Abortion battles are heating up ahead of November midterms | The Washington Post
Republication lawmakers are pushing particularly strong anti-abortion laws, with the Mississippi governor signing the most restrictive abortion law in the country and 20 Ohio lawmakers currently trying to prohibit all abortions. "Trump has given hope to the pro-life movement," said a Republican state representative from Ohio.
Pharmaceuticals
U.S. spending on prescription drugs rose less than 1 percent last year | Stat
Spending in the U.S. on prescriptions grew just 0.6% in 2017, reaching $324 billion. Drugmakers are also seeing less revenue than list price, thanks to rebates and discounts.
Research
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative boosts the Human Cell Atlas project with 85 research grants | Medcity News
Dr. Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, will give $15 million worth of grants through their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to fund the Human Cell Atlas, whose scientists want to map every cell type in the healthy human body.
In other news
Pasta is good for you, say scientists funded by big pasta | Buzzfeed
A recent study touted the benefits of eating pasta, welcome news for pasta lovers in a time of anti-carb sentiment. But three of the scientists who conducted the study are linked to pasta makers, including Barilla. In fact, at least 10 peer-reviewed studies in the last ten years were funded by Barilla or were conducted by scientists linked financially to the company.
