Tomorrow’s pharmacists

In case you haven’t seen photos of graduation ceremonies, here’s some news: Pharmacist demographics are changing, along with other healthcare professions’.

There are fewer White males. But there aren’t many more Black or Hispanic men. Instead, the biggest change is “increases among White and Asian women” (although there were smaller increases in Black and Hispanic women).

So what does it mean? Not sure … except maybe for stock-photo companies.

Region meetings are here!

It’s the biggest day of the year, and it’s coming fast! Yep, GPhA’s Fall Region Meeting — your Region Meeting — is coming to a restaurant near you. It’s time to sign up!

Every one is like a tiny slice of heaven … but held in a restaurant in your area. The food is always great, the company (fellow pharmacists and technicians) is even better, and the hour of CE credit for attending is the icing on the cake.

Find your region, find your meeting, and sign up today!

Harvard researchers massaged mice

That’s not some weird euphemism* — they actually did. In fact, they built tiny robot masseurs and masseuses for the job. The question at hand: Does massage actually help muscle cells heal, or does it just feel good?

In fact, it helps the healing:

[T]he team found that this mechanical loading (ML) rapidly clears immune cells called neutrophils out of severely injured muscle tissue. This process also removed inflammatory cytokines released by neutrophils from the muscles, enhancing the process of muscle fiber regeneration.

* Or is it?

DEA forms: end of an era era era

After October 30, the DEA will require you to use the single-sheet DEA 222 form to order and transfer C-I and C-II drugs. The triplicate DEA order form will no longer be available or accepted.

You can order forms from the DEA here if you have your DEA number.

Captain Obvious takes a deep breath

“Health Care Workers Show Greatest Covid-19 Stress”

Statins enable diabetes

Can statins make diabetes worse? As usual, we wouldn’t ask if the answer wasn’t interesting. In fact, yes, yes they can. Actually, that isn’t necessarily a shock — the idea has been around for a while. But now University of Texas researchers say they’ve pretty much proven the link.

They looked at medical data from 166,000 people, half taking statins (“the statin cohort”), half with diabetes but not taking them (“the comparator cohort”). The results were clear:

Diabetes progression occurred in 55.9% of the statin cohort vs. 48% of the active comparator cohort.

It’s likely a result of statins interfering with insulin resistance. Their advice: Be sure to balance the risks patient by patient.

Vaccine hesitancy by the numbers

Per the latest KFF Vaccine Monitor:

Who’s Getting vaccinated?

Older (85%) Democrats (90%) with a college degree (82%), especially in urban areas (77%).

Who’s lagging?

White (64%) Republicans (59%) with a high school education or less (46%).

What’s making them get the vaccine?

Fear of Delta (39%), local hospitals filling up (38%), seeing others get sick (36%), vaccine mandates for activity* (35%)

* I.e., gym, travel, parties, etc.

ICYMI

Pfizer asked the FDA to authorize its Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11. That is all.

Does this tumor make me look fat?

Here’s an unexpected way to test a cancer drug: Weigh the tumors. As in (MIT researchers found) take out some tumor, treat it with a drug, and see if it weighs less afterwards. If it does, the drug works.

“Essentially all of the clinically used cancer drugs either directly or indirectly stop the growth of cancer cells. That’s why we think measuring mass could offer a universal readout of the effects of a lot of different types of drug mechanisms.”

It’s a quick way to determine what’s likely to work for an individual patient.

FDA chief drinking game

Soon — maybe even by the time you read this — the White House will finally nominate an FDA commissioner to replace Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock.

The game: Once the person is named, every time you read that a healthcare organization ‘is looking forward to working with ___,’ take a drink. Stay hydrated, folks.