CVS: Let me share with you my nefarious plan

In an analysis of the CVS/Walmart spat, one analyst (George Hill at RBC Capital Markets) said — according to Business Insider — that it’s “an early sign of how CVS will use its massive negotiating power to its own benefit.”

The goal is to direct more people who use CVS and Aetna insurance products into the company’s drugstores, Hill said.

CVS, surprisingly, didn’t disagree. In fact, it said, that’s exactly the plan.

CVS has said that directing Aetna customers into its stores to receive healthcare is a major element of the strategy for the combined company, because that can keep them healthier at a lower cost.

Here at GPhA — where we fought hard against the merger, knowing it would be bad for patient choice and thus for patient care (and received some major concessions through the good efforts of the insurance commissioners office) — we can only say, “Not a big surprise.”

Get yourself an MTM certificate

Quick and simple: We’re offering APhA’s MTM certificate program. Real soon.

• February 17, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• In Sandy Springs, Ga. (just outside Atlanta).
• 21 total CPE hours.
• $349 for GPhA members, $499 for non-members, which includes a GPhA membership.
• Visit GPhA.org/mtm for details on the program, speakers, requirements.

A LOT of inappropriate antibiotics

A new study published in the British Medical Journal looked at more than 19 million outpatient antibiotic prescriptions. It found that almost a quarter of all those scripts were inappropriate, and a lot more may have been.

• 23.2% were inappropriate, period
• 28.5% “were not associated with a recent diagnosis code” (meaning there was no clear reason for the antibiotic to be given)
• 35.5% were potentially appropriate

Only the remaining 13.8% were absolutely recommended for the reported diagnosis.

And who is writing all these prescriptions? A different investigation found that it’s dermatologists who write the most (although they are writing fewer long-term scripts).

Don’t tell Humpty Dumpty*

Get out your favorite flipping coin — ours is a 1975 U.S. quarter. Today we learn that eggs are (flip that coin!) … good for you. That’s right, the Finns report that an egg a day can help stave off diabetes.

* Why does everyone assume he’s† an egg?
† And why do they assume it’s a he?

What’s in your dental floss?

Some brands that use Teflon fiber contain PFAS — which you may have heard of in relation to non-stick cookware. (Hint: It’s not good) So, assuming you sell floss, you might consider which types you carry. (And just between us, as we told you a couple of years ago, flossing really doesn’t have any proven benefit.)

Brunner to IACP

Former GPhA CEO Scott Brunner — currently a senior VP at NCPA — is moving to the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP). He’ll take over as IACP’s new CEO effective March 4.

Note: An earlier version of this story reported that Brunner was going to the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). We regret any confusion.

Note: An even earlier version of this story reported that Brunner was going to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). We regret any confusion.

Elsewhere: Emerald Isle edition

As reported in the Irish Medical Journal, a man there was hospitalized after he tried to play pharmacist and treat his own back pain. “He had devised this ‘cure’ independent of any medical advice.”