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For about $120, anyone can get now get a COVID-19 antibody test from Quest Diagnostics...The lab company announced Tuesday it launched the first consumer-ordered test—yes, that means there's no doctor referral needed—to allow patients to check whether they have the antibodies that indicate they've had the novel coronavirus and may have some immunity to it...The test will be available through QuestDirect, which is Quest's consumer-initiated testing business. Antibody testing uses blood serum specimens and is sometimes referred to as serology testing...READ MORE

The National Institutes of Health on Friday told EcoHealth Alliance, the study’s sponsor for the past five years, that all future funding was cut...The Trump administration abruptly cut off funding for a project studying how coronaviruses spread from bats to people after reports linked the work to a lab in Wuhan, China, at the center of conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 pandemic’s origins...The National Institutes of Health on Friday told EcoHealth Alliance, the study’s sponsor for the past five years, that all future funding was cut. The agency also demanded that the New York-based research nonprofit stop spending the $369,819 remaining from its 2020 grant...“At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities,” Michael Lauer, the agency’s deputy director for extramural research...READ MORE

Washoe District Health Officer Kevin Dick asked for the resignation of the district's chief epidemiologist on Friday...Dr. Randall Todd has been the director of epidemiology for the Washoe County Health District for 14 years. Before that he was Nevada's State Epidemiologist for 12 years...Todd confirmed that Dick asked him to leave his position..."It was requested," Todd said. "What I'm going to do is I'm going to retire. I've got quite a few years in. Twenty-six to be precise."...Todd said Dick did not give him a reason for requesting his resignation. Todd acknowledged that he's been in conflict with Dick "off and on over the years," but wasn't specific about the source of the conflict...READ MORE

With a major Indian production hub now locked down in a COVID-19 containment zone, the spotlight on pharma's emerging markets suppliers will likely shine even hotter...Drug manufacturing facilities in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, India—a key source of drug supplies—have shut down or reduced capacity since the region locked down in mid-April...Fifty facilities reportedly have shuttered, including at least one operated by top generics player Sun Pharmaceuticals...A slew of others are hobbled by the lockdown...The U.S. supply of generic and branded medicines, heavily reliant on emerging markets in India and China, has come under close scrutiny as COVID-19 sends shockwaves through the industry...the FDA said it would temporarily allow hospitals to source hard-to-find drugs from compounding pharmacies to treat certain patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19...READ MORE

Gov. Steve Sisolak announced late Tuesday that the Nevada Hospital Association was preparing to resume some “medically necessary” elective procedures in the coming days — the first sign that some restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 may be eased in the coming weeks...Unlike many other industries that were temporarily closed by emergency order, Sisolak never issued an order legally curtailing such procedures. State hospitals had instead sought to postpone unnecessary hospital visits on their own, especially as they geared up for an influx of coronavirus infections during March...READ MORE

A bipartisan letter has urged Congress to consider including provisions permanently prohibiting pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) clawbacks by pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) in future coronavirus relief packages...The published letter cited increased demand and existing financial strain being amplified during the current pandemic as reasons for the bipartisan push for pharmacy DIR reform...The majority of neighborhood pharmacies are already experiencing negative cash flow issues and, for their efforts to help through this pandemic, will get a big bill months from now as PBMs come calling for DIR fees. Eliminating these fees and reining in PBMs has never been more vital if pharmacies are to continue operating now and when this emergency passes...READ MORE

State investigators must inspect hospitals before resolving workplace safety complaints during the coronavirus pandemic, Nevada’s largest health care union formally demanded Friday...In a two-page letter sent to the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Nevada chapter of Service Employees International Union outlined hazards it alleges are still ongoing at a swath of large hospitals across the state...Among the union’s allegations:

— Front-line health care workers are being forced to reuse protective equipment meant for a single use. Additionally, some hospital staff were not being provided proper safety equipment.

— Hospital workers who are at risk for coronavirus complications, or have at-risk family members, are being required to treat and work near coronavirus patients.

— Hospital workers are being exposed to patients with coronavirus symptoms but are never informed if the patients tested positive for the virus. Those same workers were later diagnosed with the disease themselves...READ MORE

COVID-19 has killed more than 200 people in Nevada...Most of those who died have been age 65 or older, but a handful of young adults have succumbed to the disease as well...In Clark County, COVID-19 has killed black and Asian residents at a disproportionately high rate compared to their white and Hispanic counterparts...The state’s first day of double-digit fatalities occurred in early April...READ MORE

The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding announced the launch of its free resource, which serves as a liaison between hospitals with 503B outsourcing facilities, or 503A sterile compounding pharmacies, that can supply treatments currently in shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic...APC’s Compounders’ Shortage Drug Source for Hospitals mimics its earlier online bulletin board...The news release provided information to hospitals interested in utilizing the resource:

• FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facilities and qualified, board of pharmacy-approved 503A sterile compounders may provide the resource with information about their available supplies. Only those shortage drugs listed by FDA in appendices to its recent temporary guidance document for 503Bs and 503As may be listed.

• Data submitted by outsourcing facilities and 503A pharmacies will post this information for hospitals to access.

• If hospitals are unable to source the needed drug(s) from a 503B, they may access a secondary page listing information submitted by 503A pharmacies about shortage drugs they can prepare...

• APC has asked the American Hospital Association and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists to make its hospital members aware of the resource...READ MORE

The FDA has authorized the first diagnostic test with a home collection option for coronavirus disease 2019...The FDA initially issued an emergency use authorization on March 16 for LabCorp’s RT-PCR Test, which qualitatively detects nucleic acid from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in upper and lower respiratory specimens from individuals with suspected COVID-19...LabCorp has planned to make Pixel by LabCorp COVID-19 Test home self-collection kits available with a physician’s order in most states in the coming weeks. The molecular test allows samples to be collected from a patient’s nose through a designated self-collected kit containing nasal swabs and saline. After self-collection, the sample is mailed in...to be tested...READ MORE