As the American Medical Association pushes back on efforts to expand pharmacists' scopes of practice and lawmakers reintroduce bills aimed at increasing pharmacist roles, four leaders at hospitals and health systems weighed in on the debate. 

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists said May 10 that quality issues at drug manufacturing sites are triggering more drug shortages. 

After five senators reintroduced a bill that looks to expand pharmacists' scope of practice and increase Medicare reimbursement for those extra services, pharmacist organizations applauded the proposed legislation. 

The FDA approved the first drug that treats agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease.

A federal judge in Illinois has tripled the amount Eli Lilly must pay after a jury found the pharmaceutical company guilty of violating the False Claims Act in August 2022, according to a May 9 report from Law360.

For five months, drugmakers have reported changing resupply dates for cisplatin, an oncology treatment in short supply. The release date just changed again, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' latest update. 

The pharmacy department at Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health is planning for growth as the network reports a multimillion-dollar net loss. 

A study of 20 people with obesity hinted at the possibility for semaglutide — the active ingredient in Type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy — to increase the functionality of natural killer cells, which destroy cancerous cells. 

After the three biggest insulin companies slashed their list prices, GoodRx refreshed its list of comparing costs among 31 generic and brand-name insulins. 

Novavax will lay off about 25 percent of its workforce and consolidate its facilities as part of a global restructuring to reduce costs, the drugmaker said May 9.

Artificial intelligence has already entered the pharmacy space, and it's past time to embrace the change in the workplace, according to the pharmacy leader of United Health Services hospitals in Johnson City, N.Y.

The FDA criticized Eli Lilly for three manufacturing-related shortcomings in Form 483 filings released the week of May 4. The FDA reprimanded the company following an inspection of the pharmaceutical giant in the fall of 2022, which revealed its filling line operations were "deficient." 

Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health completely covers tuition for those part of its pharmacy technician training program, NBC affiliate KSL reported May 6. 

Patients in rural regions of the U.S. already struggle to access healthcare services, now both rural patients and their physicians are waiting to access a new Alzheimer's drug, according to a May 7 report from The Wall Street Journal.

Lana Witt, PharmD, wants to improve patients' transitions from hospitals to their homes or skilled nursing facilities.

Starting May 9, UCSF Health will provide pharmacogenetic testing, which can lower adverse drug reaction risks by 30 percent. 

The American Medical Association wants to block a House bill that, if passed, would expand pharmacists' scope of practice. 

At least four states are working to prevent pharmacies from compounding unauthorized solutions of Ozempic and Wegovy — two popular drugs from Novo Nordisk — because of safety concerns, NBC News reported May 3. 

Demand for Wegovy and other weight-loss drugs has been high for months. Because of this trend, the drug's maker, Novo Nordisk, said May 4 it will decrease its output. 

Pharmacists in New York will now be able to prescribe birth control pills over the counter — eliminating the need for a physicians' sign-off in the process — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced at a May 2 press conference.