Tricare kicks out Walmart

Express Scripts, the military’s PBM, is removing Walmart from its network starting December 15 and bringing CVS back in after five years. The PBM made the usual “this is good news for patients” noises and promises a smooth transition.

The latest on OTC hearing aids

Slowly, ever so slowly, the FDA is making its way toward officially, eventually, someday making certain hearing aids available over the counter. (It was supposed to as part of the FDA Reauthorization Act … four years ago.)

It now has a proposed rule and draft guidance. You can read it. Comment on it. But really, there’s clearly no rush … because there are already OTC hearing aids on the market from companies like WonderEar, Hue Hearing, and the big gun, Bose. Check with your wholesaler.

Coming soon: 2022 GPhA insurance webinars

Pharmacy owners — interested in GPhA’s insurance program? Good move! Open enrollment runs Monday, November 8 through Friday, November 18.

Don’t miss the upcoming webinar. It’ll review the program, fill you in on some of the new enhancements, and go over what you and your employees need to do.

Join Mark Riley and Bryan Turner for the one-hour Zoom webinar on either of two dates:

Wednesday, October 27 from 4:00–5:00 pm

OR Thursday, October 28 from noon–1:00 pm

Smells like melioidosis

After four cases and two deaths, the CDC finally found the cause of cases of melioidosis, including at least one in Georgia: an aromatherapy room spray sold at Walmart.

If you have or sell Better Homes and Gardens Lavender and Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones (sheesh!), the CDC wants you to take no chances.

Stop using this product immediately. […] Double bag the bottle in clean, clear zip-top bags and place in a small cardboard box. Return the bagged and boxed product to a Walmart store.

Then wipe down every surface it may have landed on, wash sheets or linens, and promise yourself to stick to scented candles instead.

Mirtazapine doesn’t help

People with dementia who take mirtazapine for agitation shouldn’t do that — at least according to a study out of a whole lotta universities in the U.K. It was “no more effective than a placebo, and might even increase mortality.”

“The gold star treatments for agitation don’t involve drugs and are tailored to the person — like arts and crafts or movement to music. In recent years antidepressants — like mirtazapine — have been considered a fallback if non-drug approaches don’t work.

Kitty bugs kill other bugs

Surprisingly, your cat may not always be out to kill you. Healthy cats, it seems, carry a bacteria (Staphylococcus felis) that can treat a skin infection caused by a different bacteria — methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius or MRSP.

Researchers at UC San Diego found that moving the good bacteria from cats to infected mice cured the mice of their MSRP infections. Next step: Testing it on dogs … and potentially on humans. Although, one researcher points out, “It may even be possible that living with a healthy cat provides humans with some protection against MRSP.”

The Long Read: Horseshoe Crab edition

You might know that horseshoe crabs are important for pharmaceutical manufacturing — their blue blood can detect endotoxins. The problem is that there are only so many crabs, and draining a third of their blood isn’t really good, health-wise.

There are alternatives now — if only they would be approved by USP. (They are in use in Europe.) This is a Long Read, so there’s a bit more to the story….