Bogus Botox; transgender care ‘built on shaky foundations;’ federal rule on reproductive privacy – Morning Medical Update

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Phony pharmaceuticals

Counterfeit drugs pose serious health risks for patients. Among the most recent warnings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance on spotting bogus botulinum toxin (Botox), an “extremely scary injectable” that could be fatal to patients. Here’s a primer on what to look for with that substance.

Youth gender transitioning

Youth gender dysphoria, and the best services to help patients with it, have become a flashpoint for medicine and politics in the United States. What, then, is the best available medical evidence that doctors can use to help young people in distress over gender identity? British scientists made an independent review and found there’s not much, and what there is, is not very good. One expert said gender medicine is “built on shaky foundations.” Here are a news release about the findings, an editorial in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, and a webpage devoted to the systematic reviews.

Protected health information

The administration of President Joe Biden issued a new rule, “HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy,” on April 22 to strengthen protections found in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. “This Final Rule will bolster patient-provider confidentiality and help promote trust and open communication between individuals and their health care providers or health plans, which is essential for high-quality health care,” the official announcement said. Here is the full text of the rule.