• California: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last week signed new legislation to phase out the "most concerning" UPFs from school meals over the next 10 years. According to Axios, California is the first state to pass such a law, as well as the first state to require a statutory definition of UPFs. Under the law, the California Department of Public Health is required to adopt regulations to define "ultra-processed foods of concern" and "restricted school foods" by June 1, 2028. After that, schools must phase out these foods by no later than July 1, 2029. Vendors will be prohibited from providing restricted school foods and UPFs of concern starting from July 1, 2032, and schools will be prohibited from offering these foods from July 1, 2035. According to the New York Times, the new legislation comes amid an ongoing push against UPFs, including from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and could influence legislation in other states. Currently, Arizona, Utah, and Louisiana have passed laws banning foods with synthetic food dyes and certain additives from school meals. "It's a powerful signal to all food companies, regardless of whether they manufacture for schools or not," said Scott Faber, a senior official at the Environmental Working Group. "Smart companies will start reformulating now." (Falconer, Axios, 10/9; Callahan, New York Times, 10/8)
• California: Amgen launched a new direct-to-consumer program called AmgenNow, which will offer lower prices for some of the company's prescription drugs. The first drug included in the program is Repatha, an injectable medication used to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart-related issues. Through AmgenNow, patients can purchase Repatha for $239 a month, which is roughly 60% lower than the current U.S. list price. GoodRx, a medication distribution platform, also said it would reduce its price for the drug to align with Amgen. Through GoodRx, Repatha will be available at a cash price of $239 a month at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide. According to Amgen, its decision to offer Repatha at direct-to-consumer pricing was in response to the Trump's administration push to reduce prescription drug costs. (Marchese, Wall Street Journal, 10/6)
• Washington: Amazon Pharmacy is adding new self-service "pharmacy kiosks" at One Medical clinics to allow patients to pick up their prescriptions right after their appointments. According to Fierce Healthcare, the kiosks will include commonly prescribed medications like antibiotics, inhalers, and blood pressure medications. Controlled substances and refrigerated medications will not be available. The kiosks will be available at One Medical locations in Los Angeles starting in December. The company plans to expand the kiosks to other One Medical offices soon after. "We know that when patients have to make a separate stop after seeing their doctor, many prescriptions never get filled," Hannah McClellan, Amazon Pharmacy's VP of operations. "By bringing the pharmacy directly to the point of care, we're removing a critical barrier and helping patients start their treatment when it matters most-right away." (Cunningham, CBS News, 10/8; Gliadkovskaya, Fierce Healthcare, 10/8)

As ultra-processed foods become an increasingly large part of Americans' diets, there are growing concerns about the potential health risks of these foods, which are often high in fats and carbs, Andrea Petersen writes for the Wall Street Journal.