A new modelling study published in The Lancet suggests that US Medicare's new 'Most-Favoured-Nation' pricing policy [1], which ties what Medicare pays for medicines to prices charged in other high-income countries, could push pharmaceutical manufacturers to raise prices or delay launches. For about three in four medicines studied, the resulting Medicare savings would be worth almost four times that medicine's entire annual sales in the country used to set its price, potentially giving manufacturers a strong incentive to change how they price and launch products outside the USA.

When people hear something new about a topic, they should update their beliefs to reflect the new information. But many people either underreact or overreact, with their responses varying based on different factors, including the environment. In “The Inference-Forecast Gap in Belief Updating,” researchers compared how people make inferences and revise their beliefs in light of the same information.

As scientific debate intensifies over solar geoengineering, clean energy constraints, and political influence on research, Frontiers Science House convenes leading scientists, business leaders, and policy heads during Climate Week NYC. Journalists can attend in person or online and request one-on-one speaker interviews.

A new study suggests liking well-known fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage brands may be a strong warning sign of a poor overall diet, even among those who rate these brands as unhealthy.

SHEA has published a new practical guide to help healthcare organizations build the business case for diagnostic stewardship. Published in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology (ASHE), the resource outlines five high-impact interventions and provides implementation strategies and financial models that hospitals can adapt to their own settings. The authors estimate that a representative 200-bed community hospital implementing all five interventions could realize approximately $2.5–$2.8 million in annual laboratory and clinical savings, with additional potential savings through improved quality metrics and reduced CMS penalties. The guide, developed by SHEA’s Diagnostic Stewardship Special Interest Group, demonstrates how diagnostic stewardship can simultaneously improve patient care, healthcare quality, and operational performance.

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health assessed candy and soda sales in supermarkets, drug stores, and mass-market retailers in Berkeley, as well as three comparison cities in California, after a first-of-its-kind healthy checkout ordinance was implemented in 2021 and then became enforceable in 2022. Changes in sales varied by product and store type: soda sales decreased substantially after the HCO was implemented and enforced, while sales of small-packaged candy decreased significantly in supermarkets after the HCO was enforced. Overall candy sales increased moderately after the policy was implemented (but not after enforcement), but so did sales in healthy, lower-sugar items such as snack-sized nuts and seeds. Supermarkets, which complied the most with the HCO, saw the greatest declines in sales of these sugary items, while drug stores, which complied the least, did not have reduced candy or soda sales.

A new book from a University of Kansas scholar and alum aims to help women anticipate and overcome the challenges present in becoming a school leader. "Leading Without Apology" provides a roadmap to help women advance to roles such as superintendents and budget directors by anticipating challenges and obstacles and building strategies to move into positions they are qualified for without being overcome by doubt or need to apologize for leading.