Georgia claims right to regulate PBMs

Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr is among 33 state attorneys general who filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court supporting states’ rights to regulate PBMs.

What’s the deal? Arkansas passed a law in 2015 that regulated PBMs and set standards for generic drug prices — essentially requiring PBMs to reimburse pharmacies for at least the wholesale cost of the drugs.

But the PBMs argued that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) prohibits states from implementing such laws. And now the Supreme Court is on the case.

Employee pharmacists: Don’t miss the next big AEP event!

Join GPhA’s Academy of Employee Pharmacists for a fall wine-tasting and networking event!

December 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Baraonda Ristorante & Bar in Atlanta

Get your tix by December 5: Only $35 (After that or at the door: $40)

Each ticket includes four wine tastings and appetizers! (Plenty more food and drink will be available for purchase.)

Get your tickets at GPhA.org/aepnetworking.

Important: You do NOT need to log in! Just hit Esc to skip the login form!

Walgreens and Humana share a bite

In a meeting outside math class, Walgreens and Humana are planning to trade rings, maybe go steady.

Opioids and broken hips

The stronger the opioid, the greater the risk of hip fracture: study.

Alexa, what’s wrong with me?

Nearly two-thirds of young people in Britain would be AOK being diagnosed by a chatbot rather than a human. And 56 percent would rather receive advice from their pharmacists or physician via an app or website than face-to-face.

“If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying ‘End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH’, the paint wouldn’t even have time to dry.” —Terry Pratchett

Scientists worldwide: We should not use CRISPR/Cas9 to change human genes until we know more.

Chinese researchers: I’m sorry, we missed that. What did you say again?

Chinese authorities: Wait, what?

White House report: Climate change will be bad for Georgia health

The Trump Administration released a major report that says climate change is likely to have major negative impacts for the U.S. across the spectrum (agriculture, health, infrastructure, tourism, etc.).

The Fourth National Climate Change Assessment * says the economy could lose hundreds of billions of dollars — more than 10% of its GDP — by the end of the century. But our concern is the healthcare aspect. As the report explains, it ain’t good:

Impacts from climate change on extreme weather and climate-related events, air quality, and the transmission of disease through insects and pests, food, and water increasingly threaten the health and well-being of the American people, particularly populations that are already vulnerable.

Forgetting the direct effects of cold and heat spells, the changing climate will lead to more mosquito- and tick-borne diseases (as we’re already seeing), as well as “The frequency and severity of allergic illnesses, including asthma and hay fever.”

And Georgia? Sayeth the report: “Communities in the Southeast, for example, are particularly vulnerable to the combined health impacts from vector-borne disease, heat, and flooding.”

The full report is at nca2018.globalchange.gov. If you’re just interested in Georgia and the southeast, click here to choose specific regions.

*Written by hundreds of scientists, engineers, analysts, and others from the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation, plus the Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, NASA, the Smithsonian, and the U.S. Agency for International Development

We love caffeine, but…

Pregnant women should probably stay away, even if they have less than the max recommended 200 milligrams per day. They’re risking premature delivery or a low-birthweight baby.