The virus went down to Georgia

Yes, in case you missed it, CoviD-19 has been confirmed in Fulton County. Now’s a good time to brush up on “Surfaces? Sneezes? Sex? How the Coronavirus Can and Cannot Spread.”

And if you wonder how much to worry, Stat News has a breakdown: “Who is getting sick, and how sick?”

You know someone had to ask

“Can You Drink Hand Sanitizer or Get Drunk on It?” (Spoiler: Yes, you can drink it*. No, you really don’t want to.)

* As the saying goes, “All mushrooms are edible, but some are only edible once.”

Financial pressure is pushing pharmacists

The Stat News column is “Pharmacists, patients are stuck in the middle of a profit-before-all-else pharmacy racket.” The gist is this:

Intense financial pressure combined with the volume-based reimbursement that drive the constant push for more pills are compromising patient care and pharmacist well-being.

Sure, there are comments to be made about late-stage capitalism, the pendulum eventually swinging, and so on. But we’d like to hear from you. Tell us your concerns — or tell us how you think this is an exaggeration. You’re on the front lines, after all.

Click here to go to the GPhA page with more details, plus an anonymous form you can use. Or you can send an e-mail to membership@gpha.org. (We will never share your name.) Let us know!

Marijuana side effects

As legalization spreads, so too will more information emerge about the effects of marijuana. Here’s one case study that appears in what may be the most prominent peer-reviewed publication: the Journal of Cannabis Research.

This case report examines the first known case of cannabis-associated priapism in a patient where all other known causes of priapism have been excluded. While cannabis use has already been noted in educational sources and textbooks as a potential cause of priapism, an electronic literature review was only able to identify four distinct cases of cannabis use coinciding with priapism, none of which were convincingly able to prove cannabis was the sole cause.

From Lineland to Flatland

It feels like you just got finished upgrading to chip-card readers — now guess what: You’ll probably have to get new barcode scanners in the next couple of years, as 2-D barcodes replace the venerable UPC.

Delayed gratification

Kids (i.e., teens and young adults) are waiting longer before they start using drugs. Not a lot longer, but it’s definitely noticeable.

[T]he study showed that the average age at which young people first consumed alcohol or smoked cigarettes rose from 16 in 2004 to 17 in 2017. Those who reported using heroin or cocaine for the first time had an average age of just over 17 in 2004, which had risen to about 18 for heroin and close to 19 for cocaine by 2017.

The more you know

No, antioxidants don’t improve male fertility: NIH study.

Largest pharmacies: no surprises

Drug Channels has released its annual “Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers,” including the list of the largest pharmacies in the country. Topping the list are the usual suspects: CVS Health, Walgreens, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Walmart, Kroger, and Rite Aid.

Of note:

• “Four of the largest pharmacies are central-fill mail and specialty pharmacies operated by the PBMs”
• “For 2019, we estimate that PBMs earned more than half of their gross profits from mail and specialty pharmacy dispensing activities.”

The Long Read: “Why the hubbub” edition

“Why public health officials sound more worried about the coronavirus than the seasonal flu”