Just let Darwin do his job

The FDA is warning people, particularly men*, not to vape two e-liquids from the HelloCig company: “E-Cialis HelloCig E-Liquid” and “E-Rimonabant HelloCig E-Liquid” because they contain sildenafil and tadalafil.

Seriously, do they really have to warn people not to smoke a product called “E-Cialis HelloCig E-Liquid”?

*Women are obviously too smart to try these products

Add “civil war” to the list of overused terms

In this case, according to The Hill, it’s a “civil war*” over prescription opioids. Translation: Patients who need painkillers are paying the price because of people who abuse painkillers. How do you balance fighting the crisis with giving people the meds they need?

“A veritable war now exists between the needs of people in pain on one side and the popular crusade to limit — and even ban — opioid use on the other. With the zeal of moral crusaders, most clinicians and policymakers fall into one of the two camps.

“There almost seems to be a competition to see who can most egregiously demonize prescription opioids without sufficient scientific justification and without regard to the consequences.”

*We used to call them “disagreements” or even “strong disagreements” but that doesn’t make a good headline

Attention student pharmacists!

It’s time to register for the 2019 Day at the Dome! That’s when you get to go behind the scenes and be involved with our advocacy efforts at the state capitol

You’ll join hundreds of other students and work with GPhA’s legislative staff to knock on lawmaker’s doors and talk about the biggest pharmacy issues we’re facing.

This is an incredible opportunity to see (and be part of) this other side of the pharmacy profession: where the laws are made, and how you can affect them.

  • UGA and PCOM students will be coming to the Gold Dome on Tuesday, February 5.
  • Mercer and South students will be coming to the Gold Dome on Wednesday, February 20.

Now is the time to register and get more info. Do both of those at GPhA.org/dayatthedome.

Yes, you’re going to make a difference!

A flu shot can prevent … heart failure?

Apparently so, if you believe those shifty Danes. “A study of patients in Denmark who were recently diagnosed with heart failure found that a flu shot cut their risk of premature death by 18 percent, compared with not getting a shot.”

Time to “deprescribe”

Too many people may be taking too many powerful meds, and risking some serious interactions. But who can lead the charge to cut down on inappropriate medication?

If you said “terrazzo workers,” you’re definitely reading the wrong newsletter. It’s pharmacists, natch — so says a paper published in JAMA.

APT board members elected

It gives us great pleasure to announce the newly elected members of the board of directors of GPhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Technicians.

Representing chain pharmacies:
Michael Birdsong, Kroger Pharmacy, Gray

Representing independent pharmacies:
Lawana Walker, Barney’s Pharmacy, Evans

Representing clinic/health-system pharmacies:
Breanna Lowery, Carl Vinson VAMC, Dublin

At large:
Emil Durham, Integrity Compounding Pharmacy, Cumming
Pamela Haynes, Medical Park Pharmacy, Gainesville
Robbie Howard, Atlanta Technical College, Lithonia
Jack Shepherd, Oconee Fall Line Technical College, Dublin

We look forward to working with the new board members as they set the agenda and direction for the academy.

The long read: Small gifts, big crisis

From The Atlantic: “Did Free Pens Cause the Opioid Crisis?” (How sales reps used even small gifts as a psychological tactic to increase prescriptions.)

You must remember this

Unfortunately, doing puzzles and having intellectual conversations won’t help with cognitive decline after age 65. Might as well stick to “Wheel of Fortune” and “Judge Judy.”

###