Other Projects
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Online Prescribing of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
Ashwin K. Chetty, Alissa S. Chen, Joseph S. Ross, Reshma Ramachandran
JAMA. 2026;07:42406378
GLP-1RAs are widely available through online sellers, primarily for weight management, with nearly 20% of adults taking a GLP-1 RA obtaining prescriptions online. This study found that online GLP-1 RA prescription vendors often did not require clinician interaction, relying primarily on patient-reported questionnaires that may not capture important clinical and social history.
Advertising Payments to News Websites That Publish Health Misinformation
Neeraj G. Patel, Reshma Ramachandran, Joseph S. Ross
JAMA Network Open. 2026;04:e265068.
Health misinformation, defined as incorrect or misleading health information according to the best available evidence at the time, has increasingly spread online. This study found that from 2021-2024, government and health organizations accounted for about one-tenth of the $336 million in estimated advertising payments made to 11 news websites identified for publishing health misinformation.
Polypharmacy Among US Older Adults with Limited English Proficiency: 2013–2018
Yimei Wan, Reshma Ramachandran, K. Jane Muir, Joseph S. Ross
Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2026;01:1515-1522.
Polypharmacy, defined as the use of five or more prescriptions, is common in older adults. This study found that older adults with limited English proficiency were less likely to experience polypharmacy compared to older adults who are English proficient.
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Omar Qureshi, Joseph S. Ross, Reshma Ramachandran, Anand R. Habib
Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2025;12:41428154.
Clinicians rely on medical societies’ clinical practice guidelines to inform evidence-based patient care. This paper found overall strength of recommendation-level of evidence rating concordance was moderate, although recommendations with strong SOR ratings had minimal rating concordance.
Venture Capital Investments by Academic Medical Centers in Health Care Companies
Ravi Dhawan, Denys Shay, Anna Leland, Reshma Ramachandran, Joseph S. Ross, Joshua D. Wallach
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2025;11:131-134.
Academic medical centers (AMCs) have increasingly established their own venture capital funds, sourced from endowments, royalties, licensing fees, and philanthropy, to invest in health care companies. This study found 110 AMCs made 880 investments in 693 healthcare companies between 2014-2024 which totaled $24.2 billion.
Clinical Characteristics of Adults at Risk of Medicaid Disenrollment Due to HR 1 Work Requirements
Ashwin K. Chetty, Joseph S. Ross, Alissa S. Chen
JAMA. 2025;10:1850-1853.
HR 1 institutes work requirements for adults receiving Medicaid, with specific exclusions for those who are “medically frail,” pregnant, or eligible for Medicare or who have a disability or dependent child. This study found that of the 5 million adults at risk of Medicaid disenrollment, there are high prevalences of chronic and potentially function-limiting conditions.
State Policies and Facility Practices of IV Hydration Spas in the US
Anishaa Sivakumar, Howard P. Forman, Isabel Wang, Peter Lurie, Joseph S. Ross
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2025;10:1455-1461.
The number of IV hydration spas has increased, but there is limited information regarding their regulation and practices. This study found only 4 state policies addressed governance, prescriber credentials, dispensing practices, and compounding practices, and facility websites found spa practices also varied with respect to product offerings, product claims, and staffing.
FDA Advisory Committee Review of Supplemental Indications and Reasons for Non-Approval, 2008-2022
Audrey D. Zhang, Nikhil Chaudhry, Reshma Ramachandran, Joseph S. Ross, Jason L. Schwartz
Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics. 2025;04:137-144.
The FDA authorizes the use of already-approved drugs for new clinical indications through Supplemental New Drug Applications. This study found that from 2008-2022, advisory committees discussed a total of 84 sNDAs and sBLAs, and there was variability in the frequency with which advisory committees were called to discuss new supplemental indications.
Shareholder Payouts Among Large Publicly Traded Health Care Companies
Victor Roy, Victor Amana, Joseph S. Ross, Cary P. Gross
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2025;02:466-468.
Concerns have increased that a large proportion of healthcare spending appears to be directed to corporate shareholders. This paper found that total shareholder payouts from S&P 500 healthcare companies have more than tripled from 2001-2022 and payouts were concentrated among a small number of companies.
Online Advertising of Compounded Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists
Ashwin K. Chetty, Mahima Chillakanti, Reshma Ramachandran, Joseph S. Ross, Alissa S. Chen
JAMA Health Forum. 2025;01:e245018.
Medication shortages allow pharmacies to sell compounded versions of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved drugs, including GLP-1 RAs. This study found that websites that sell compounded GLP-1 RAs did not disclose that compounded GLP-1 RAs were not FDA approved, many websites provided limited safety information and unauthorized efficacy claims, and some websites did not disclose that these products were compounded.
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Temporary FDA Advisory Committee Members, Recommendations, and Agency Actions, 2017-2021
Nikhil Chaudhry, Audrey D. Zhang, Jason L. Schwartz, Reshma Ramachandran, Joseph S. Ross
JAMA Network Open. 2024;10:e2436789.
The FDA convenes advisory committees to provide expert outside counsel on key agency decisions, such as whether to approve new drugs or issue safety warnings. This paper found from 2017-2021, temporary members made up half of all advisory committee members and permanent and temporary member recommendations differed in patterns of concordance.