Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walmart on Thursday announced that they would start selling hearing aids over the counter by mid-October, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey.

• District of Columbia: President Joe Biden announced that thousands of Americans convicted of "simple possession" of marijuana will be pardoned. While the Biden administration's move covers individuals convicted under federal law, it does not cover those convicted under state laws, which cover most marijuana possession convictions. President Biden also called on governors to pardon individuals convicted under state laws. The move mirrors Biden's position that "no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana." According to the White House, no one is in federal prison solely for "simple possession" of marijuana. However, the pardon could help remove obstacles for thousands, making it easier to rent a home or find a job. "There are thousands of people who have prior Federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result," Biden said. "My action will help relieve the collateral consequences arising from these convictions." (Miller/Megerian, Associated Press, 10/6)

• Maryland: After FDA in August issued a rule aimed at expanding access to hearing aids, several U.S. retailers have announced plans to sell over-the-counter hearing aids before the rule goes into effect at the end of the month. Under the rule, adults will be able to purchase hearing aids without a medical exam, prescription, or audiologist fitting. Walgreens announced plans to sell Lexie Lumen hearing aids in retail locations around the country for $799, starting Oct. 17. Separately, Walmart said it planned to start selling hearing aids to adults who have mild to moderate hearing loss without an assessment or medical exam, starting Oct. 17. Customers will be able to purchase products starting at $200 on Walmart.com and at Walmart vision centers. In addition, CVS Health said it currently has a limited supply of hearing aids that can be purchased on CVS.com, and it "plans to add to these offerings and expand to retail stores in the near future." Previously, hearing aids typically cost thousands of dollars and were only available at hearing centers. Notably, White House estimates project that the change could save consumers roughly $2,800 per pair. (Satija, Reuters, 10/6)

• New Jersey: BD on Friday announced that it was recalling 17 types of metal containers used by hospitals to sterilize surgical tools. In a letter about the recall, BD said that certain products failed a test that evaluates whether aerosol microbes are able to penetrate the containers. According to BD, the company is not able to guarantee that the containers will properly sterilize surgical tools under conditions outside of normal use, posing a risk of infection to surgical patients. The recall applies to 8,075 containers sold under the Genesis Sterrad brand, which were was distributed globally between April 2011 and August 2022. Roughly 6,700 containers were sold in United States. So far, there have been no reports of adverse events associated with the recall. According to BD, any containers involved in the recall should be disposed of immediately. (Bean, Becker's Hospital Review, 10/7)