HANDOFF
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OTC Contraceptive Pill
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The FDA has approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill (norgestrel). Norgestrel was initially approved for prescription use in 1973. As part of the OTC approval process, drug manufacturer HRA Pharma (recently acquired by Perrigo) had to prove that patients could correctly use the pill without assistance from healthcare professionals. HRA Pharma anticipates that the pill will be available OTC in early 2024. US Health and Human Services said the approval will “lower long-standing barriers to the healthcare they need.”
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Turning Away Migrant Families
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Boston Medical Center has instructed staff to send away migrant families seeking shelter in the hospital lobby. The decision comes on the heels of masses of migrants showing up at BMC, including more than 100
showing up in a single day. Staff are being instructed to send migrants to state-run shelters — as a “right-to-shelter” state, Massachusetts is obligated to provide shelter to eligible homeless individuals. If those state resources are closed for the day, staff will send them to a family member’s home, church, or the last place they slept.
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Nurses Authorize Strike
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United Steel Workers Local 4-200 nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey have voted to authorize a strike. Union members representing 1,800 nurses at the hospital have been without a contract since June 30th. They have negotiated a limit to how much they must pay towards health insurance and staffing improvements. The hospital says its wage proposal is 14% higher than the average rate for “similar” New Jersey hospitals and has addressed the union’s other requests.
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