High-five to PCOM’s new PharmDs!

Congrats to the 76 newly minted PharmDs^* who just graduated from PCOM Georgia! Let’s give them all virtual hugs as they’re about to commence their lives as pharmacists in the cold, cruel world. Also for having to endure bagpipes^† and a snare drum at the ceremony. (Could have been worse. Could have been an accordion.)

^* And other medical disciplines
^† Kidding! We love “Scotland The Brave” as much as anyone!

Vitamin D: Give it to ’em early

A Finnish study…

…found that “higher than standard vitamin D3 supplementation up to age 2 years decreased the risk for internalizing problems in later childhood.” In other words, hit ’em with the D early so when they’re older the kids have a lower risk of mental disorders including autism and ADHD.

An Australian study…

…found that low maternal vitamin D levels raises a child’s risk of schizophrenia. How? Having enough vitamin D, it seems, is essential for the growth of neurons that process dopamine. If mom’s levels are too low, the neurons don’t differentiate the way they should.

They showed that dopamine release was enhanced in cells grown in the presence of the [vitamin D] hormone compared to a control.

And while the details of schizophrenia are still being worked out, “what is known is that schizophrenia is associated with a pronounced change in the way the brain uses dopamine.”

Monday Night Brewing — less than a week!

It’s back, better than ever, and barely a week away!

Do you like craft beer? Soda or soft drinks? A chance to network with the friendliest pharmacists, technicians, and students in the nation? Of course you do!

So come have a drink of your choice with us^* at Monday Night Brewing! Mark your calendars for this coming Thursday, June 1, from 4:00–7:00 pm.

Click here for the details and to sign up, and don’t miss out on a night of fun! (If you feel guilty, tell yourself it’s good for your career. It is.)

^* “Us” being the Academy of Employee Pharmacists, their friends and relations — including students!

First Medicare, now Medicaid

CMS is proposing new rules that aim to help states reduce Medicaid spending. They’re simple, really: They’d require true transparency from drug makers and -sellers, so pharma companies couldn’t hide their costs and pricing.

“For example, transparency into a manufacturer’s costs and process for establishing a drug price via the survey, along with other factors, would give states the ability to better negotiate supplemental rebates, and better understand the impact of the drug on its budget as supplemental rebates are negotiated.”

Expect pharma to, as usual, claim the sky will fall and life as we know it will end if they don’t get their way and be able to hide their costs and pricing.

Proving the pain

How does someone with chronic pain — which doesn’t leave a mark — prove they’re in pain? There isn’t a way, but UC San Francisco scientists have taken an important step. No, it won’t be something patients can show their friends, but it could convince medical pros that someone really is hurting.

It’s just on the border of being a true biomarker, and it shows there’s a path to a kind of official ‘test’ for chronic pain. They were able to see that certain parts of the brain ‘lit up’ when the patient experienced chronic pain.

The team implanted electrodes into areas of the brain responsible for planning, expectation and emotion, which are important in the genesis of the experience of pain. They then correlated the brain activity in these areas using machine learning[…] The research enabled them to objectively demonstrate that the information-processing areas of the brain in chronic pain are distinct from that of acute pain.

Not only could this mean confirmation of pain, but — as pain is all in the brain anyway — it could open the door to new treatments now that we know what to target.

Elsewhere: Colorado

Slowly but surely, Colorado is fleshing out its plan to handle the sky-high prices of medications. A panel of medical and pharmacy experts will choose 18 drugs “for review over the next three years to determine if the medications are unaffordable and whether to cap what health plans and consumers pay for them.”

Of course, choosing which 18 to target isn’t simple.

Do they tackle drugs with extremely high costs taken by only a handful of patients, or drugs with merely very high costs taken by a larger group? Should they consider only out-of-pocket costs paid by consumers, such as for insulin, whose copays Colorado caps at $50 a month, or the total cost of the drug to the health system? Will they weigh only drug prices, or will they try to right social wrongs with their choices?

Short take

Afternoon chaser for diabetes

If you have patients come in with type 2 diabetes, check the clock. If it’s after noon, consider chasing them around the pharmacy for a bit. Why? “Afternoon exercise linked with greater improvements in blood sugar levels for patients with type 2 diabetes.”