A new committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in partnership with the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, has begun assessing solutions to a significant shortage of pediatric health care workers, especially pediatric subspecialists, which the committee said will impede pediatric patients from receiving quality care and will decrease the field’s overall expertise in the long term. An overall health care workforce shortage has concerned some experts for years, and pandemic-related retirements and resignations drove...

Senate health committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and ranking Republican Richard Burr (R-NC) on Friday (May 27) introduced their user fee bill with some changes from the draft version, including a new measure that aims to shorten FDA’s decision-making around whether 505(b)(2) drugs may be automatically substituted at the pharmacy for the brand drugs they reference. The bill also would require FDA to quickly finish its over-the-counter hearing aid rule and provide Congress with more information about its inspection activities...