Hep A continues to spread

Georgia is being hit hard by a rash of hepatitis A infections.

Since June of last year, 214 cases have been reported in the state, including 64 last month alone, said Cherie Drenzek, the state epidemiologist, at a Tuesday board meeting of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

… and E. coli, too

The CDC still doesn’t know where the E. coli outbreak is coming from, but it’s in Georgia and it’s getting larger.

Hand sanitizer ruling

The FDA’s got a final rule on hand sanitizers: They can only contain three active ingredients: benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol, and/or isopropyl alcohol.

Apparently there are other products (about 3 percent of the market, says the agency) that contain other active ingredients. Those will have to be approved as new drugs before they can be sold.

Our biggest takeaway, though, is that the FDA is finally referring to these as “hand sanitizers” like everyone else, instead of “nonprescription consumer antiseptic rub products.”

“I don’t know how you people sleep at night”

Parents of more than one kid will appreciate this: When each one blames the other, you get fed up with both of them. And that’s what’s happening in Congress as drugmakers and PBMs each blame the other for high drug prices.

“If you think you can out-talk us without any transparency, without any accountability, I just want you to know your days are numbered,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

When Eli Lilly Senior Vice President Mike Mason tried to point to the fact that his company had launched a half-priced authorized generic version of its insulin Humalog, Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) retorted: “So it took 15 years and global outcry on this to do it?”

Meanwhile our own pharmacist rep, Buddy Carter, offered his thanks to the PBM execs:

“I want to congratulate all of you because you have done something here today that we have been trying to do in Congress, and that is to create bipartisanship.”

Are you a woman? Are you in pharmacy?

If so, you should check out “Women in Pharmacy: What’s Next?” — an “intimate dinner setting with no more than 20 attendees” on May 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Integrity Compounding Pharmacy in Sandy Springs. It’s only $59 if you register by April 15, and that includes dinner, the workshop, and all materials — not to mention the great networking opportunity.

The purpose of the evening is to empower women pharmacists to think outside the box and discuss ways to create a career they love using their expertise and knowledge. What’s your vision? Dream. Plan. Thrive.

Obviously space is limited, so click here to register while you can!

Antidepressant boost

Anti-inflammatory drugs, particularly NSAIDs and cytokine inhibitors, appear to help alleviate some depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder. As the researcher put it…

Meta-analysis revealed that anti-inflammatory agents outperformed placebo in improving depressive symptoms as an add-on treatment in patients with major depression.

Leave it to the professionals

The FDA is reminding people not to try to diagnose a head injury unless they’re using an FDA-approved device.

“The FDA has identified several manufacturers that were marketing medical devices for concussion diagnosis, treatment, or management without the FDA’s approval or clearance,” the agency said. “An incorrect diagnosis of ‘no head injury’ after an injury, for example, could lead a person with a serious head injury to return to their normal activities instead of getting medical care.

Elsewhere: Heather Has Two Mommies … and a Daddy

A Greek woman is the first to give birth via a new fertilization technique that gives her baby the genes of three parents. Typical human children only have two. In case you didn’t know.