Goodbye, menthol

The end of menthol cigarettes in the US is coming later this year, although — in a huge shocker — the FDA says it’s behind schedule. And by behind, we mean by about 14 years — that’s when the law banning flavored cigarettes was passed, and “Many public health leaders say that regulations on the last flavor allowed in cigarettes can’t come soon enough.”

Studies have found that children who smoked menthol cigarettes were more likely to become regular smokers than occasional smokers. More than half of kids who smoke use menthol cigarettes, according to the [CDC].

(What’s likely to happen? Cigarette makers will switch to making “cooling sensation” products as RJ Reynolds has already done, or start marketing flavored cigars to kids instead. “In 2020, more young people said they tried a flavored cigar every day than tried a cigarette, according to the FDA.”)

Register for your Region Meeting!

If you live in one of the following GPhA regions, it’s time to sign up for your fall Region Meeting!

• Region 2 (Moultrie area): Tuesday, September 26
• Region 4 (Peachtree City area): Wednesday, September 27
• Region 5 (Atlanta area): Tuesday, September 26
• Region 10 (Athens area): Wednesday, September 27
• Region 11 (Augusta area): Thursday, September 28

And the rest of you? Your meeting will be virtual, and we’ll be sending out info soon!

Region Meetings are the twice-a-year chance to hang out with local pharmacy pros for a great dinner, an update on Georgia pharmacy, and a fun and low-pressure networking opportunity.

It’s all for a mere $10 for GPhA members ($25 for non-members).

The details and sign-up links for all the meetings are at GPhA.org/regionmeetings.

The formula for better formula

It’s pretty much common knowledge that “breast is best” when feeding a baby, but not every mom is able to breastfeed for a list of reasons. Still, breast milk has nutrients that bottled formula doesn’t. But now University of Kansas researchers, working with their friends in China, say they’ve found an important ingredient that can be added to infant formula to “contribute to the long-term structure and function of the brain.”

The ingredient? Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). The explanation:

All forms of mammalian milk contain large fat globules that are surrounded by a membrane composed of a variety of nutrients important to human nutrition and brain development, Colombo said. When milk-based infant formula is manufactured, the membrane has typically been removed during processing.

Adding MFGM for just one year “raised IQ by 5 points at 5 ½ years of age” most noticeably in the kids’ info processing, visual-spatial skills, and on tests of executive function.”

Get the point-of-care testing training mom would want you to have

Attention pharmacists and technicians: With point-of-care testing for seemingly every drug, disease, and condition you can think of, from marijuana use to lycanthropy, patients will need your help.

Be there for them! GPhA is offering the gold-standard class: the NASPA Pharmacy-based Point-of-Care Testing Certificate Program, which not only gives you that nifty certificate for your wall, but 20 hours of CPE with the combo of the in-person and home-study program.

The next live session is Sunday, October 8, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm in the GPhA Sandy Springs classroom [map]. (The home portion is, you know, at home.) No more sessions are scheduled this year, so don’t miss out!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

The Oppenheimer treatment is worse

Sure, you probably think a procedure called “Barbie botox” sounds perfectly safe (especially if it’s trending on TikTok). Oddly, so-called “experts” are advising caution before having botulism poison injected into the muscles of your upper back to make your neck look thinner.

Just remember that the same “experts” warned about drinking borax, eating Tide Pods, and cooking chicken in NyQuil.

Score another for traditional meds

The latest traditional medicine that’s passed the laboratory test (and started fights at Scrabble tournaments) is qiliqiangxin.

A Chinese trial of more than 3,100 patients with serious heart issues found that qiliqiangxin cut the risk of hospitalization and heart failure from about 30% (for those just taking standard treatment) to 25% (for those taking the qiliqiangxin supplement).

At least that’s what the European Society of Cardiology press release seems to be saying:

In a pilot study, qiliqiangxin reduced N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and improved heart failure symptoms in patients with HFrEF when added to established heart failure treatment.

Weird science story of the day

Trouble with math? How about zapping the front of your brain? British and Dutch researchers found that if someone’s brain isn’t excited about math (in the “Woo-hoo, math is fun!” sense), then a bit of electrical excitement can improve their skills.

In other words — and it helps to say this in a mad scientist’s voice — “We will make you excited about math.”