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President Joe Biden signed off on an executive order July 9 aimed at increasing federal agencies' ability to promote competitiveness in the economy. We applaud this administration's actions to address oligopoly, or limited competition in the marketplace. For the first time in a long while, our members’ hopes are raised that some anti-capitalistic practices will be addressed. For example, currently only a few sellers control all the sales in many markets, barriers to entry are imposed, and corporate interdependence keeps prices high and competitors out. The president’s executive orders could begin to improve the vitality of our economy, reduce prices on goods and services, increase producers’ agency in the supply chain, and improve choices for consumers. (Shawn Phetteplace and Julie Keown-Bomar, 7/12)

President Biden signed an executive order Friday ordering HHS to come up with a drug pricing plan within 45 days. But there’s one problem: The administration hasn’t even said publicly who’s leading drug pricing policy within the federal health department. STAT surveyed a number of Washington’s top drug pricing advocacy organizations and health care lobbyists — the types of people who would usually be coordinating or at least meeting with HHS on a drug pricing plan — and almost all of them failed to name a staffer at HHS charged with the task. However, clues are emerging. (Nicholas Florko, 7/13)

As a retired Air Force veteran who spent 24 years serving my country, I understand what it’s like to fight for the basics. Millions of veterans have sacrificed and contributed in countless ways to protect freedoms, ensure security and save lives through the years. But, as we all learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes the status quo needs to be changed rather than protected. Prescription drug prices are a great example. The ridiculously high price of prescriptions in the United States presents a clear and present danger to millions of Americans, including veterans, who can’t afford medicines because lawmakers allow drug corporations to hike prices at will. Whether it’s new drugs like the Alzheimer's treatment that just launched at $56,000 per year or insulin, which has been around for a hundred years, drug corporations’ monopoly power forces Americans to pay two to four times more for medicines than people in other countries.  (David Hind, 7/13)

Not long ago, a patient collapsed just steps away from the emergency department where I work as a physician. The patient’s heart stopped pumping due to dangerously low blood potassium levels. When the body lacks potassium, a condition known as hypokalemia, electrical signals that are critical to muscle functions, especially the heart muscle, can short circuit. Thankfully, our team was able to quickly diagnose the problem and save our patient’s life. When he woke and we were able to speak to him, we learned the patient was rationing his medications because he couldn’t afford them. He was taking multiple medications to manage chronic conditions. Some of these medications lower potassium levels. He was prescribed a potassium supplement, but due to the overall cost of his prescriptions he decided to skip this important one — and it almost killed him. (Dr. Max Cooper, 7/13)