Oh, Augusta

Augusta was ranked one of the 10 least healthy states in the country by the latest WalletHub analysis — ranked #167 out of 174 U.S. cities.

Atlanta is the highest rated in the state (#22), and Columbus came in at #158.

The ratings are based on 10 measures, from cost of medical visits and premature death rate, to physical activity and even availability of healthy foods. (And in case you’re intersted, San Francisco was rated most healthy; Brownsville, Texas, was at the bottom.)

Preventative measures

The good news: The federal government says it will spend $66 million to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus in the U.S.: $30 million to evacuate and quarantine Americans in China, and $36 million to send CDC staff to states where the virus has shown up.

The bad news: That’s more than half the entire U.S. fund for dealing with sudden disease outbreaks. But hey, what are the chances of another outbreak happening?

Who goes there?

Scientists in Brazil have discovered an entirely new virus. Like, really new.

“…an enigmatic virus whose genome seems to be almost entirely new to science, populated by unfamiliar genes that have never before been documented in viral research.” Meet Yaravirus.

Learn point-of-care testing with GPhA and NACDS

Patients who use point-of-care “at home” tests need you. Don’t send them home without a helping hand. Learn how you can help them take control of their health with these tests … and how to best advise them when they show you the results.

Check out the 20-hours NACDS “Community Pharmacy-based Point-of-Care Testing Certificate Program” at GPhA.org/pointofcare.

Sunday, March 15
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
GPhA Headquarters in Sandy Springs

$349 for GPhA member pharmacists, $149 for member technicians (techs can’t get the CE, though — sorry!)

Flu update

The type A variant is now “on the rise.”

22 million Americans infected; three million in the last week. At least 12,000 deaths nationwide, and more than 210,000 hospitalizations.

If lives weren’t being ruined, this might actually be comical

Pharma company Cephalon ran trials of its opioid, Fentora. In publishing the outcome, the company reported “no unexpected” adverse events, and that it was “typical.” The FDA approved Fentora for restricted use.

In fact, newly released documents show…

In one trial, 11 patients overdosed. One patient’s husband overdosed on the trial drugs. And 35 people reported their opioids were stolen, and dozens dropped out of the study without returning the tablets they had […]

Among the patients was a man who tried skating through an unscheduled drug test by submitting his wife’s urine. Another woman replaced her pills with empty blister cavities “to make it appear that she was returning study med(icine).”

And now Virginia — and possibly other states — is suing Cephalon, accusing it of violating the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

CBD news

Nielsen reports that 3 to 5 percent of the U.S. CBD-product market will be for … pets.

• 74% of consumers who purchase CBD products own pets
• 24% of pet owners use hemp or CBD for themselves, their pet or both.
• Among dog owners, about 26% are using CBD products; half are already administering it to their dogs.

Elsewhere: CBD (legal) can show up on sensitive blood tests as THC (illegal), so Tennessee is looking to tweak its law to keep people from being arrested after a false positive.

Elsewhere: Paying for effectiveness

Last week we told you about Zolgensma, the drug for infants that Novartis has priced at $2.1 million.

While people around the world are hoping to win the company’s lottery to get the life-saving med, Massachusetts came up with an interesting twist. It’s Medicaid program, MassHealth, will only pay for the drug if it works. (MassHealth has a history of negotiation better drug prices with manufacturers.)

The Long(ish) Read: An idea so crazy it just … might … work

Instead of arresting drug addicts, police help get them treatment.