AIP gets a new leader

Jonathan Marquess will take the reins of GPhA’s Academy of Independent Pharmacy on January 3, following in the large, well-worn footsteps of Jeff Lurey, who announced his retirement in September.

Marquess — he’s a PharmD, CDE, FAPhA, and past president of the Georgia Pharmacy Association — owns and manages a slew* of pharmacies in Georgia and is president and CEO of the Institute for Wellness and Education in Woodstock.

These stories aren’t supposed to be terribly long, so there really isn’t room to go into all Marquess’s accomplishments: Mercer University professor, VP at APCI, several VP positions at NCPA, and a heck of a lot more, including something like 20 pharmacy awards over his impressive career. (You can read his pedigree here. Yes, you will feel intimidated.)

The point being, he’s a great guy, steeped in pharmacy, and a perfect leader for AIP. Welcome and congratulations, Jonathan!

* We weren’t sure how many, so “slew” is non-committal

ICYMI: Big recall

Edge Pharma has issued a voluntary recall of all its drug products, including consumer products, due to “a lack of sterility assurance.”

You can view the list here (PDF) — it’s every Edge Pharma product distributed since July, 2021.

Shout-out to Thomas Sherrer, Jr!

Congrats to Thomas Sherrer, Jr., co-owner (and PIC) of Poole’s Pharmacy in Marietta — he was named Marietta Citizen of the Year by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

Huzzah!

Exciting headline, disappointing story

The headline: “Scientists use ostrich cells to make glowing Covid detection masks”.

“Japanese researchers,” it said, “have developed masks that use ostrich antibodies to detect Covid-19 by glowing under ultraviolet light.”

But no, it’s not as if people’s faces start lighting up when the virus is around.

[T]est subjects wore the masks, and after eight hours the filters were removed and sprayed with a chemical that glows under ultraviolet light if the virus is present. The filters worn by people infected with Covid glowed around the nose and mouth.

They’re hoping to develop one that glows on its own.

Who’s lying to you?

Where is all the world’s Covid-19 misinformation coming from? You know, ‘the vaccine will make you magnetic,’ or ‘snorting lemon juice will kill the virus’? A University of Alberta researcher decided to find out. Working with Florida’s Poynter Institute for Media Studies, he compiled and analyzed “9,657 pieces of Covid misinformation originating in 138 countries between January 2020 and March 2021.”

By country: India produces the most misinformation (15.9% of the total). But the U.S. isn’t far behind — American sources are responsible for almost 10% of the ‘incorrect’ stories out there (9.74% to be specific). Brazil and Spain followed with 8.6% and 8.03%, respectively.

By media: Not surprisingly, the Internet was the source of more than 90% of the Covid misinformation, specifically (and shockingly!) social media — that’s where you’ll find 85% of the nonsense. And (again, shockingly!) Facebook is mostly to blame, as it’s the source of 66.9% of incorrect information about Covid-19.

The phones are melted

The other day, we and NCPA asked you to “melt the phones” and demand ask that senators Ossoff and Warnock include ending DIR in the Build Back Better Act. And … you did!

According to NCPA…

• 1,631 pharmacists responded.
• They sent 1,046 emails, 412 tweets and made 437 phone calls.
• And our favorite: “The top five states for engagement are New York, California, Ohio, Georgia, and Texas.”

W00t! Big thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to add their voice to the chorus!

Covid quickies:

Chew on this

UPenn dental researchers say they’ve developed a chewing gum (is there any other kind?) that can reduce the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in a person’s saliva, making transmission less likely.

Good thing we have the pills

Experts say that Merck and Pfizer’s antiviral pills should work against the omicron variant. That’s lucky, because “the current best treatments for the Delta variant—monoclonal antibodies—will likely lose their effectiveness against the new strain.”

Covid pills: free, quick, and important webinar

Considering that second Covid quickie (above), how timely it is that GPhA is offering a free, 30-minute CPEasy webinar on Pfizer’s Paxlovid anti-Covid pill for pharmacists and pharmacy techs.

Presented by Tracy Nell Dabbs (from the Georgia DPH) and Lisley Toledo Brooks (2022 Mercer University PharmD Candidate), “COVID and Coffee: PF-07321332/Ritonavir (Paxlovid) — An oral antiviral for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2” is this coming Tuesday, December 14, from 8:00 – 8:30 am and yes, it gives 0.5 hours of CPE.

Repeating: It’s free, it’s 30 minutes, and it’s especially important as the antiviral rollout is about to begin. Get the deets right here and sign up now!

Because people will go for anything

“Wellness” vaping products have been around for a while (“Vitamin vaping,” anyone?), but the FDA has finally had it up to here and released an official warning: “Beware of Vaping Products with Unproven Health Claims”.

No, the agency wants to remind you, vaping products cannot fight off tumors, treat asthma or dementia, prevent megaloblastic anemia, or help your depression. And thinking they will might prevent people from getting real treatment.

=AND=

Gillette has introduced a version of its ProGlide razor, painted gold, with a handle designed by former Atlanta Brave (and current Jackson State University football coach) Deion Sanders. It includes the word “Prime” and the number 21.

You can only get it (for now) by entering a drawing and providing Gillette with a bunch of your personal information (e.g., “Which of the following shaving related skin issues are most concerning for you?”).

* Which is not a prime number