Georgia considers marijuana licenses

About 8,400 Georgians have a license to possess and use low-THC cannabis oil. But the law still prohibits them from actually buying it or even bringing it into the state, i.e., they can only get it via the black market.

A bill introduced in the Georgia House (HB 324, “Georgia’s Hope Act,” by Rep. Micah Gravley, R – Douglasville) would aim to change that. It would allow the licensing of up to 10 facilities to grow marijuana for low THC-oil production, and an additional 10 licenses for distributing the oil to those 8,400 patients.

GPhA’s position: We do not have a position on the issue of state-licensed THC oil production, but we maintain that, should such a law be passed, pharmacists are part of the team that oversees the use of the oil by patients.

Flu vaccine effectiveness in 17 seconds

Overall: 47% (per the CDC)

For people 6 months–17 years: 61%.

Scary: For those over 50, it was only 24%.

But these numbers are for the A(H1N1) strain that’s affecting most of the country. In Georgia, it’s the A(H3N2) that’s making the rounds. For the Peach State, this year’s vaccine is only 44% effective overall; the CDC doesn’t have age breakdowns yet.

Pharmacists and techs: Earn a certificate in pharmacogenomics

Test2Learn is offering pharmacogenomic certificate training next Saturday, February 23. It’s $497, but that can earn you 20 hours of ACPE-accredited CE hours and a certificate in pharmacogenomics that can go on your wall … and your résumé.

The course is from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Integrity Compounding Pharmacy (8601 Dunwoody Place, Suite 750, Sandy Springs [map]).

Besides the “principles of pharmacogenomics,” the course teaches — well, it teaches a lot. Your best bet is to click here for the full details of what it covers. We particularly like this part:

Program participants have the unique opportunity to utilize an aggregated genomic data set, or their own personal data, for the in-person educational module.

Check it out!

Truvada is working — big time

We’ll just quote Bloomberg here: “New cases of HIV among gay and bisexual men fell by almost a third to the lowest on record, according to the world’s first study to measure the impact of Gilead Sciences Inc.’s Truvada pill on reducing the AIDS-causing virus in a large population.”

Bad ideas

Pro tip: If you think your company might someday be charged with racketeering for bribing physicians to prescribe your drug … don’t make a rap video about pushing that very drug. (And don’t have it feature a dancing nasal spray bottle.)