With the FDA poised to decide whether to approve an MDMA-based psychedelic medicine later this year and multiple states taking steps toward potentially legalizing their therapeutic use, psychedelics are becoming increasingly popular within healthcare. But with that increased popularity come concerns that patients won’t get equal access to the therapies.

Most psychedelics are still classified as Schedule I drugs (the Drug Enforcement Agency’s strictest classification) and thus illegal at the federal level, with the closest thing to an FDA-approved psychedelic medicine being Spravato, a nasal spray made from ketamine that is designed for treatment-resistant depression—though there’s some debate over whether ketamine qualifies as a psychedelic.

But the FDA has granted psilocybin, MDMA, and a form of LSD breakthrough therapy status, a designation it uses for drugs that treat a “serious or life-threatening condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement on a clinically significant endpoint(s) over available therapies.”

The designation allows drug companies to run clinical trials of the drugs for potential therapeutic uses. Psilocybin is currently being studied to treat depression; MDMA is being studied to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and LSD is being studied to treat generalized anxiety disorder, according to Lynn-Marie Morski, president of the Psychedelic Medicine Association, a professional association “bridging the gap between the advances taking place in the psychedelic research world and medical practitioners.”

Keep reading here.—MA

Landing on correct test codes can feel like its own kind of puzzle—one without an answer key. To top it off, healthcare pros now have to learn new ones that correspond with optimized allergy test profiles.

But don’t fret. Get the most up-to-date test codes with the Lab Ordering Guide (LOG) instead. The LOG helps you find the most recent test codes with ease, thanks to features like:

• an easy-to-use process that only requires a zip code
• personalized selections based on patient location and profile
• an inside look at profiles and the allergens included within

Make sure you’re ordering up-to-date test codes and get info on how to interpret ImmunoCAP™ Specific IgE test results.

Snag the most recent test codes.

Two weeks into the ransomware attack on national hospital operator Ascension, access to many electronic patient records, communication systems, and online ordering and prescribing systems remains blocked, according to a May 21 statement—and the effects are reportedly snarling patient care.

In Detroit, where the hospitals have relied on fax machines to send orders, even critically ill patients have seen hours-long delays in their test results, the Detroit Free Press reported.

One nurse anonymously told the news outlet she wasn’t even sure the blood test results she received belonged to her patient because of the current manual recordkeeping system, adding, “We are waiting four hours for head CT (scan) results on somebody having a stroke or a brain bleed.”

Ascension, a St. Louis-based Catholic nonprofit with 140 hospitals and thousands of affiliates around the country, said in a May 15 statement that it was working with outside cybersecurity firm Mandiant for help, as well as enlisting “cybersecurity experts from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 and from CYPFER to help supplement” their efforts to restore systems.

Keep reading here.—NB

Hims & Hers is getting theirs. The San Francisco health and wellness company’s stock shot up 37% on Monday after it announced the release of its own GLP-1 weight loss medication.

Made from the same active ingredients used in Ozempic and Wegovy, the company created treatments for prices as low as $199 per month compared to about $1,000 for the name-brand injections.

The Hims & Hers release comes amid a shortage of GLP-1s, as the demand for medications to treat obesity and diabetes outpaces the supply. When name brands face shortages, the FDA allows pharmacies to compound drugs, a process that uses the same ingredients and does not require FDA approval—thus allowing Hims & Hers to enter the market.

Keep reading here.—CM

Introducing MoneyWise with Sam Parr. Join My First Million host Sam Parr as he interviews high-net-worth guests on his brand-new podcast MoneyWise. In each episode, Sam digs into his guest's personal finance and lifestyle, getting radically transparent about things like burn rates, portfolios, and spending habits. Listen now.