Healthy and unhealthy cities

On the one side, Atlanta — ranked by WalletHub as the 19th healthiest city in the country — that’s based on 25 measures of the quality and availability of healthcare, 25 on food consumption, 25 on fitness, and 25 on green space and recreation.

On the other end of the spectrum, though, are Columbus (ranked #162 out of 174 metro areas) and Augusta (#168). Read the details and see the rankings here. Spoiler: #1 is San Francisco, and #174 is Brownsville, Tex.

Washington (state) hears the wake-up call

In the Washington county experiencing all those measles cases, “Former anti-vaxxers now seek out measles vaccine after outbreak.”

Get yourself an APhA MTM certificate

GPhA is offering APhA’s Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services this coming Sunday, February 17, in Sandy Springs. Having an official APhA MTM certificate is great for your patients, your practice, and your career.

What will you learn? Glad you asked. The class offers “a systematic approach for developing, implementing, delivering, and sustaining MTM services, from a marketplace overview to help implementing MTM services in your practice, and a review of the skills and knowledge you need.”

Check out the details at GPhA.org/mtm — heck, you can get a total of 21 CPE hours!

FDA sends out warnings

The FDA is very very not happy with 17 companies in and out of the U.S. for selling snake oil — er, we mean dietary supplements they claim will treat Alzheimer’s. (Pro tip: They don’t.)

Another universal flu vaccine in the works

This one from Oxford University and New York-based startup Blue Water Vaccines.

The vaccine, which covers all influenza A and B strains is, is approaching clinical studies and could feasibly enter Phase I trials by the end of 2019.

Apply now for the GPhA Board of Directors

GPhA is now accepting applications for the 2019–2020 board. We encourage applications from all pharmacy practice settings.

Applications are being accepted for the following seats:

• Representing the Academy of Independent Pharmacists (three-year term);
• At-large members elected by the GPhA membership (three-year terms).

The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. EST on March 11, 2019.

As the bylaws require, an online election will begin May 23, 2019 and will close midnight June 13, 2019 following the first general session of the 2019 Georgia Pharmacy Convention.

GPhA will announce election results on June 14, 2019, at the convention’s second general session. New directors will be installed at the 2019 General Membership Meeting on June 15, 2019.

For complete information on the roles and responsibilities of GPhA board members, as well as details on the application process that the GPhA bylaws require, go to GPhA.org/2019board. There you will also find a link to the actual application form.

If you have questions before you apply, feel free to contact Governance Manager Merrily Bennett at mbennett@gpha.org.

The long read: Atlanta and the fight against HIV

From Georgia Health News: “In new offensive against HIV, metro Atlanta is a battleground.”