• California: Hims & Hers recently announced that it plans to sell compounded peptides. In an earnings call earlier this month, Hims CEO Andrew Dudum said that the company was "currently developing a best-in-class peptides experience, including U.S. manufactured products, clinical-led guidance, and ongoing blood testing." Currently, the company is testing the ingredients in some peptides to "ensure we can bring them to the market with a safe, verified supply chain if the [FDA] decides to allow them for compounding." Injectable peptides have recently gained popularity among health and wellness influencers, partly due to interest from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Late last month, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended the broader use of six out of seven peptides it reviewed, which would allow compounding pharmacies to make them for patients. However, agency scientists voiced concerns about all the peptides under review, noting that they hadn't been proven to be safe or effective and could present a risk to patients. (Suter, The Hill, 8/11)
• Massachusetts: Moderna has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial of its mRNA vaccine against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, which is currently behind a widespread outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Currently, Congo has reported 3,874 confirmed cases, along with 1,751 confirmed deaths. According to Becker's Clinical Leadership, the Ebola outbreak has become more deadly over time, with the death rate increasing from 31% at the end of June to 45.1% as of Aug. 3. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics for this species of virus. In June, Moderna received a $50 million investment from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to support the development of an investigational vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Moderna's vaccine is one of four initial candidates funded by CEPI. The other three vaccine candidates are two rVSV-based shots by Hilleman Laboratories and Public Health Vaccines and one ChAdOx viral-vector platform shot from the University of Oxford. If Moderna's vaccine is licensed, the company has agreed to make a minimum of 500,000 doses available for timely supply to low- and middle-income countries under access pricing. (Taylor, Becker's Clinical Leadership 8/5)
• Rhode Island: CVS pharmacists in three states — Rhode Island, California, and Arizona — have voted to approve a strike sanction over what they say are unsafe staffing levels and heavy workloads. Workers approved the strike with an over 90% vote in favor in each state. This is the first of two approvals needed before CVS employees can actually go on strike. According to the Pharmacy Guild, the union that represents CVS workers, it has spent two years negotiating a contract with the company that includes staffing protections and more support for pharmacists. "We've seen a steady decline in working conditions, mainly staffing," said Chris Eggeman, an pharmacist at a CVS store in Rhode Island. "You see staffing go down, while responsibilities go up. So more work with less help. And this sort of came to a breaking point with COVID." In response to the news, CVS said that it has made significant investments in pharmacy staffing and resources. "We're committed to ensuring there are appropriate levels of staffing and resources at our pharmacies," said Roslyn Guarino, CVS' senior manager of corporate communications. "All these investments have had a meaningful, positive impact on the working environment in our pharmacies and enable our pharmacy teams to better focus on patient care." (Parduhn, Healthcare Dive, 8/10)

From verbal reminders to potential retail automated follow-up, vaccine e-prescribing could reshape the patient experience. Learn how small workflow shifts may drive action after the visit ends.