It’s Zyrtec time!

Atlanta recently had the highest pollen count in six years, and further south the earlier springs (thanks, climate change) mean more pollen coming sooner. And it’s not going away — although rain will provide some temporary relief.

About last night…

Check out this shot of the GPhA Region Meeting in Acworth on Tuesday:

These pharmacy folks are enjoying an excellent meal — more importantly, GPhA’s Greg Reybold is explaining the big changes that passed the legislature this year.

There are more region meetings coming up fast. Check out GPhA.org/regions and scroll down to find yours. For $10 you not only get a full meal, you get that critical legislative update, an hour of CPE, and a chance to connect with friends and colleagues. Don’t miss yours!

Think of the children

No, seriously, think of the children. The good news is that seven states are worse for kids’ healthcare than Georgia. The bad news (if you don’t want to do the math) is that 42 states have better healthcare for children.

Where we’re hit hard: Uninsured kids, infant-death rate, and obese kids.

Statins don’t help lower cholesterol

A study of more than 165,000 patients in the UK found that even after two years, taking statins didn’t lower the LDL cholesterol of more than half of those patients, “and these patients will experience significantly increased risk of future CVD.”

Insert cheesy headline here*

If you’re a rat with prediabetes, eating more cheese may help increase your insulin sensitivity … at least according to a study paid for by the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

* As cheese puns are way too easy, we’re not going to bother annoying you with them. You can come up with your own.

Ask me if I care

Taking acetaminophen might reduce your capacity for empathy.

When reading scenarios about various protagonists having pleasurable experiences, participants under the influence of acetaminophen experienced less empathic affect compared to participants who had consumed a psychologically inert placebo.”

Don’t deny opioids to people who legitimately need them: CDC

CDC clarifies its guideline for chronic opioid prescriptions: It’s a guideline, not a rule. Some payers have balked at paying for opioid treatment, citing the agency’s March 2016 “Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.”

No, says the CDC. The guideline is “not intended to deny clinically-appropriate opioid therapy to any patients who suffer acute or chronic pain from conditions such as cancer and sickle cell disease, but rather to ensure that physicians and patients consider all safe and effective treatment options for pain management.”

Want to save a lot of healthcare dollars?

Add labels to food showing added sugar. Simple as that … at least according to a study published in the journal Circulation.

Between 2018 and 2037, the sugar label would prevent 354,400 cardiovascular disease and 599,300 diabetes mellitus cases, gain 727,000 quality-adjusted life years, and save $31 billion in net healthcare costs.