INSIGHTS
June 22, 2020

Walmart eyes the digital pharmacy

Watch out, Amazon. Walmart scooped up CareZone’s medication management tech, bolstering the retail giant’s existing prescription program. Meanwhile, acquisition talks between Otsuka and former digital health unicorn Proteus didn’t quite pan out—the smart pill pioneer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. One digital therapeutics company that did have a good week: Akili’s video game for kids with ADHD became the first game-based therapeutic to receive FDA de novo clearance.

Rock Health Summit is going virtual on 9/22-23! Hear from healthcare luminaries like Mandy Cohen, Sachin Jain, Julie Yoo, and more. Join your digital health friends and grab a ticket here.

Headlines

Fitbit And Verily Want To Help Reopen The Workplace
They’re launching testing programs for employers The New York Times | (Tweet)

Senators Lay Out Telemedicine Policy Change Priorities
+ What industry experts had to say at a conference last week MedCity News | (Tweet)

COVID-19 And Healthcare’s Productivity Shock
Healthcare’s labor intensive business model needs to change NEJM Catalyst | (Tweet)

Study: Racial Bias Skews Algorithms Widely Used To Guide Care
Decision aids across medical specialties are tainted with bias STAT | (Tweet)

Why Tech Didn’t Save Us From COVID-19
For decades, essential innovation has slowed MIT Technology Review | (Tweet)

Blue Shield Of California Is Trying To Fix A ‘Dysfunctional’ System
Expanding virtual visits, primary care, and community health Bloomberg | (Tweet)

How The Pandemic Broke End-Of-Life Care
Palliative care’s new role: orchestrating goodbyes over Zoom The Atlantic | (Tweet)

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