Ambass* at convention!

We want to invite you to become part of something new and different during this year’s Georgia Pharmacy Convention on Amelia Island. (And it’s free!)

It’s volunteering to become a Student Ambassador: a GPhA member who extends a warm welcome to pharmacy
students attending the Georgia Pharmacy Convention, answers their questions, maybe even attends events with them (general sessions, PharmPAC dinner, President’s Bash, etc.) and simply helps making students at the convention feel welcome.

If you’re coming to the convention (smart move!), why not connect with a student while you’re there? Check out the details at GPhAconvention.com/ambassadors and sign up!

* I assume that’s the verb form of “ambassador”

Congrats, PCOM grads!

Congrats to the PCOM’s Class of 2019, and the new pharmacists who just commenced their careers! Check out photos from the 11th annual ceremony here.

Potential vaccine game-changer

One of the biggest problems in spreading vaccines to the developing world is the cold chain: keeping the drugs at the proper temperature for long periods in places where the electrical grid isn’t reliable.

Now scientists at Canada’s McMaster University have developed a way to store vaccines for months at more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s simple, inexpensive, and was tested on two of the most fragile vaccines — those for herpes and influenza A.

TSA will permit seizure meds

The Transportation Security Administration has updated its rules to allow Epidiolex — an FDA-approved anti-seizure medication for children — on flights. Epidiolex contains CBD, you see.

The newest most-expensive med

Novartis has set the price of Zolgensma, its new treatment for spinal muscular atrophy in babies, at $2.125 million, the highest price ever set for a medication. It’s a one-time treatment. Patient out-of-pocket costs will of course depend on their insurance.

“Early diagnosis is crucial, so Novartis has been working with states to get genetic testing for newborns required at birth.”

Worried about beriberi?

Did you wake up this morning and think, “Gosh, I know so little about treating beriberi”? No worries — Medical News Today has you covered. (Spoilers: Alcohol abuse can cause it, and thiamine can treat it.)

Elsewhere: Colorado Cap™ edition

Colorado became the first state to set a co-pay cap for insulin: $100 per month regardless of dosage. “Insurance companies will have to absorb the balance.”

Dramatic price hikes have left some people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who use insulin to control their blood sugar levels in the unfortunate position of making dangerous compromises. They either forego the medication or they ration their prescribed dose to stretch it until they can afford the next prescription.