Pharmacists at the breaking point

If you’re feeling a bit (or more than a bit) overwhelmed, for what it’s worth, you aren’t alone. Pharmacists, pharmacy managers, and pharmacy technicians across the country are saying they’re exhausted. And worried.

From 12-hour shifts so busy they don’t have time to go to the bathroom or eat to crying in their cars every day after work or lying awake at night worrying about mistakes they might have made while rushing, they described an industry of health care professionals at the breaking point.

Passing of Frances Lipscomb

GPhA’s first female president, Frances Lipscomb, passed away on February 26, 2021 at age 89. Born in Alabama, she quickly rectified that, earning her pharmacy degree from UGA — as one of only three women in her graduating class! — and later moving to Atlanta. She helped establish Georgia’s Medicaid program, and was an lifelong advocate of expansion; she served as head of its Pharmacy Division until her retirement in 1995.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Epworth United Methodist Church at 675 South Third Street, Jesup, Georgia 31545; share your memories or send a condolence to the family at andersonunderwood.com.

A community effort in Johns Creek

Johns Creek pharmacist, GPhA board member, and all around great person Jennifer Shannon got more vaccines than she thought she could handle at her little Lily’s Pharmacy. So she did a simple thing: She asked for community volunteers to help run a vaccine clinic in her parking lot. And she got them.

Tuesday morning, more than 200 people got their shot in the pharmacy parking lot. Shannon said it was pleased with how it went and said what stands out the most is the gratitude from those who got the shot.

When you need help, you call the firefighters!

Oh, great: New variant is harder to detect

A new variant of Covid-19 has been identified in Brittany, France, and “Initially [patients] tested negative with gold-standard PCR tests, despite presenting with typical symptoms of Covid-19.” Only blood and tissue analysis confirmed the infection.

An earlier, Finnish variant is also not detected by some PCR tests, but this one hides from all of them.

To add to the problem, calling it “the Brittany variant” (or the French “le variant breton”) might confuse it with the British variant.

Georgia starts the turnaround

At the moment, Georgia is ranking pretty low for percentage of people vaccinated (last among the states, in fact). The AP looks at the reasons that happened — and how the state is starting to turn the numbers around.

Zerpexin, by any other name, would smell as sweet

The FDA is revisiting the question of drug names. The issue: Giving meds names that imply they do something they don’t.

“For example, a proposed proprietary name that contains cure or that sounds like cure for a drug that treats the symptoms associated with a chronic disease would be concerning.”

Down goes grandpa

Older folks were prescribed a heck of a lot of meds that could make it easier for them to fall (found a study out of the University of Buffalo). In 2017, a whopping 94 percent of seniors were prescribed drugs like anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, sedative hypnotics, and benzos — that’s compared to only 57 percent in 1999.

And to add injury to insult, “The research also revealed that the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.”

The Long Read: The latest ways to treat Covid

If you’re wondering what the latest treatment regimen is, Science magazine has the overview, from steroids and anti-inflammatories to convalescent plasma.

Vaccine notes

Getting vaccinated seems to help long haulers: Some of the many people suffering from a variety of issues after recovering from Covid have found that getting the vaccine eases those symptoms.

A peek at what’s next: The Cherokee Nation is ahead of the rest of the US when it comes to giving out vaccines, but it’s running into another problem: Convincing people to get the shots.

One shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is estimated to be 63 percent effective.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine doesn’t work against the South African variant — it’s only about 10.4 percent effective.

You’ve got to be kidding: Somehow, some way, getting vaccinated has become a partisan issue. 🤦‍♂️

If this isn’t evil, what is?

“Scientists Grew Tear Glands in a Dish, And Made Them Cry”