Kemp considers cannabis

Governor Brian Kemp says he’s open to the idea of allowing limited marijuana cultivation in Georgia in order to produce the low-THC oil some patients are allowed to take. He did admit, though (presumably with a smile), “When it passes with a constitutional majority, it might not matter what I think.” (The bill passed the House 123-40.)

Pharmacists at the Dome

The PBMs are fighting hard to stop our bills, particularly HB233. (Hopefully you got our message and sent an e-mail or made a call!)

One big way we fight back is with Pharmacist Advocacy Teams — taking a group of live, working pharmacists to the capitol to meet with legislators face to face.

Here’s the group that joined the fight on Wednesday:

It’s one thing to hear a lobbyist tell you how PBMs are hurting patients, but it’s hard to dismiss a dozen pharmacists saying, “My patients — your constituents — are being hurt when they’re forced to use mail-order pharmacies.”

We need to keep the pressure on and you’re our best way of doing it! Click here to see our call to action — and how to contact the senators who will be hearing these bills!

Thanks, Darwin

Apparently the whooping cough vaccine isn’t working as well as it used to because the %$#&@ bacteria has evolved and the vaccine is no longer a perfect match.

“We’re making the best use of the vaccine, while we’re frantically doing research to make a better one,” said Schaffner*. But a new vaccine for whooping cough is nowhere near ready, he said.

* Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Mini office includes robot pharmacy

A company called OnMed is testing “interactive telemedicine kiosks.” Patients can visit a physician virtually from inside the private room, then have medications dispensed by the “robotic minipharmacy.”

The kiosks include “high-definition and thermal cameras allowing a doctor to inspect patients’ eyes, ears, nose and throat, or any skin lesions, for example—plus hardware for measuring their height, weight and blood pressure.”

Common medications are dispensed from an automated vault, which can also provide paper or electronic scripts for other pharmacies if something is out of stock. Initially, OnMed will not prescribe any scheduled drugs.

There’s more than active ingredients

“Inactive.” You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Wait till you see the whites of their eyes

Or at least till October for a flu shot. A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analysis found that, because the vaccine’s protection wanes, it’s best for seniors to get their shots in October, rather than August.

FDA committee chair: “Congress is owned by pharma.”

Dr. Raeford Brown, who chairs the FDA’s Committee on Analgesics and Anesthetics, is not happy about how much money representatives and senators are getting from pharmaceutical companies.

Despite many politicians, particularly declared presidential candidates, beginning to speak out against big pharma, Brown does not think that anything will come out of it “because Congress is owned by pharma.”

“I’m really much more concerned because Congress is supposed to have oversight for the FDA. If the FDA isn’t going to hold pharma accountable, and Congress is getting paid to not hold pharma accountable, then it really doesn’t matter who the president is because it’s really about Congress.”

Replacement valsartan on the way

This should help: The FDA has approved a new generic version of valsartan. This one, hopefully, without the carcinogens.

BIG BREAKING NEWS

CVS is changing its hold music.

UnitedHealth to pass more savings to patients

UnitedHealth Group says it’s going to expand its program of passing along drug rebates to consumers, rather than employers.

Eyes can show signs of dementia

Examining tiny retinal blood vessels can indicate early signs of Alzheimer’s, find a Duke study.

“Among the folks who had Alzheimer’s there was a significant reduction in the density of the blood vessels in the superficial layer of the retina compared to controls.”

Know a recovering pharmacist?

Students and faculty at the University of Findlay College of Pharmacy in Ohio have embarked on an effort to gather data from recovering pharmacists throughout the country.

If you or someone you know is a recovering pharmacist, will you consider participating in their research project? Please CLICK HERE for a simple and straightforward survey. It will only take a minute to complete, your responses will be anonymous, and data is strictly confidential.

And if you’re dealing with addiction, remember that you can contact PharmAssist, offered through to the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation, at (404) 558-1983.

Migraines and dry eyes

Got patients with migraines? You might want to point them to the Visine* aisle. Apparently the odds of having dry eye disease (DED (seriously)) is increased with migraines.

* We’re not endorsing a particular brand, but “eye-lubrication drop aisle” is a bit clunky

What color is the sky in that world?

PBMs will be testifying before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee to explain how they help lower drug prices and have nothing but Americans’ best interests at heart. (Also in Reality News Today, North Korea’s election had a 99.99% voter turnout and unanimously re-elected the ruling party.)

Gottlieb’s (temporary) successor named

Ned Sharpless, director of the National Cancer Institute, will serve as acting FDA commissioner starting next month.

Sentences you never expected to hear

“J&J produced raw narcotics in Tasmanian poppy fields.”

Source: a story about a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson that calls the company an opioid “kingpin.”

A big future ahead of him

That kid who’s so easy to keep calm? A study says he might have some trouble later.

In a cohort of nearly 400 mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus and their children, infants who had higher “soothability” […] were more likely to be obese at ages 2 through 5.

Elsewhere: Rhode Island

The country’s smallest state* is experimenting with allowing pharmacists to treat opioid addiction.

The pharmacist will take over their ongoing care, with broad discretion to change doses and frequency of visits. This will free up physicians to treat more patients and to focus on the most complex cases.

* Fun fact: Its full name is “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” giving it the longest name of any state. Take that, “Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

DCH tweaks its insulin policy

If you have patients on Georgia Medicaid FFS or PeachCare for Kids, this may be important:

[T]he Department of Community Health is requiring that all pharmacy providers bill the smallest commercially available package size for Insulin Products and are required to bill the Division for the exact days’ supply, based on the directions and quantity prescribed.

Click here for the full letter from DCH (PDF).

Two sources of painkillers can be deadly

Because some vets can get opioid scripts from both VA hospitals and Medicare physicians, they’re at nearly triple the risk of an overdose — so keep an eye out.

Convention fun: sandcastles!

This year’s Georgia Pharmacy Convention features our first ever sand castle building contest: Pharm-A-Sea! Anyone can register a team to compete, and proceeds will benefit the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation.

Check out the details at GPhAconvention.com/pharm-a-sea!

Swap out to olive oil

If you have patients that are, um, gravitationally challenged, you might suggest they switch to olive oil for cooking. Some new research suggests* that olive oil in particular causes less platelet activation and thus a lower risk of heart attack or stroke in obese people.

Because we love you: Here’s a story that looks at various olive oil tests to tell you which ones are legit (California Olive Ranch, Kirkland) and which don’t meet standards.

*Suggests is the key word here

Increase your strength, decrease your diabetes?

Don’t go crazy with the weights, but “moderate muscular strength, but not upper muscular strength, was associated with a reduced risk of development of [type 2 diabetes].”

Statins, on the other hand…

They might increase diabetes risk by raising both blood sugar and insulin resistance.

The answer: “Someone is talking about you”

The question: “Why do my ears itch?” Medical News Today has the details.

The long read: The Dutch solution

“The Dutch,” a friend of mine in The Hague told me, “are a cheap people.” So when prices for drugs to treat rare diseases start to become a problem, they’re trying a different tack: compounding them.

Three [pharmacies] — Erasmus, Amsterdam’s University Medical Center (UMC), and the Transvaal Pharmacy in The Hague — have vowed to bypass drug company products and make treatments for a handful of rare diseases themselves, exercising their right to “compound” medicines.

I have no idea what this means, but it sounds important

“BMI inversely associated with palbociclib-induced neutropenia“

Quick flu update: It ain’t over

Not only is the flu still going strong across the country, the CDC says the season probably hasn’t peaked yet. That’s thanks in part to this year’s “double-barreled influenza outbreak” of both H1N1 and H3N2 strains.

At least 17 Georgians have died from the flu this year, and more than 1,200 have been hospitalized according to the DPH.

Must-see video

The New York Times presents “Fool House Rock: Anti-Vaxx Fallacies” — a Schoolhouse Rock for 2019.

Measles is appearing in the U.S. at the highest rate in more than a quarter century.

Learn point-of-care testing with GPhA and NACDS

Patients who use point-of-care “at home” tests need you. Don’t send them home without a helping hand. Learn how you can help them take control of their health with these tests, from throat swabs to finger sticks … and how to best advise them when they show you the results.

We’ve got a half-day course that, combined with the home study, can earn pharmacists 20 hours of CPE. (Techs can earn the certificate, but not the CE).

Check out the NACDS “Community Pharmacy-based Point-of-Care Testing Certificate Program” at GPhA.org/pointofcare.

March 16, 2019
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
GPhA Headquarters, Sandy Springs (map)

Pharmacist who can’t give injections wins ADA suit

A Walmart pharmacist in Washington State with cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis was awarded about $1 million in wages, future wages, and compensation for emotional distress after the company fired her because she could not give vaccinations. The jury found Walmart violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The company is considering an appeal, saying “being able to provide immunizations is a valid essential job function for pharmacists.”

Court to FDA: You’ve waited way too long

Almost 10 years ago, a new law required that cigarette packages have large, graphic warnings on them. The FDA still hasn’t implemented it (but said it would by May, 2021). Now a federal judge has said that no, a decade is already too long — the agency has to issue the final graphic-warnings rule by March 15, 2020.

Free CE on “Medication Benefits and Burdens”

The good folks at the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center are offering a free 1.5 hour CPE course, “Finding the Balance Between Medication Benefits and Burdens: Implementing Appropriate and Safe Prescribing.”

It’s on Wednesday, April 10 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Topics will include approaches to safe prescribing and medication discontinuation practices and a patient perspective on the importance of safe and effective medication management. This event will address various approaches and resources available to you or your patients.

Click here for more info (PDF) — the course is free but you need to register.

Caucasian diabetes test

23 and Me — you know, the genetic testing company — will start offering to tell its customers if they’re at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, because of the baseline the company used, the test works best for (as Wired put it), “skinny white people.”

Because polygenic scores perform best for people with the same ethnic background as the DNA data used to train the algorithms, 23andMe’s new diabetes test isn’t as accurate for folks of non-European ancestry. It performs especially poorly for black Americans—barely better than a coin flip.

What a coincidence

Raspberries, says the study, might help with glucose control. Cool — that’s just the kind of “Who knew?” story we like. Until, that is, we read the kicker: “The study was funded by the National Processed Raspberry Council.” (Even better is the disclosure: “The authors declared no conflict of interest.”)

IBD gets “a punch to the gut”

Researchers have found a way to (potentially) treat inflammatory bowel disease without treating the inflammation directly. Instead, they’ve discovered a compound that turns off a particular gene — one that is apparently turned on at sites of intestinal inflammation and damage. They like this approach because “Only a fraction of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) respond to therapy.”

“We found a unique target that’s not an inflammatory molecule, and yet blocking it reduces inflammation and signs of disease, at least in mice. If further research bears out our findings, we think this target could be helpful to a greater number of patients.”

Elsewhere update: Louisiana’s “Netflix for Hep C” seems to be working

Back in January, we told you about Louisiana’s plan to cut spending on hepatitis C drugs: Set up a Netflix-style model where the state pays a flat rate for all the treatment it needs for the state’s 39,000 Medicaid and prison patients.

Update: Drug companies seem to like the idea. AbbVie, Gilead, and Merck have all submitted bids to be considered.

Desensitization risk

Sildenafil may be the solution, but the source of the problem might not be what you think. The Guardian reports.

Correction: In yesterday’s GPhA Buzz, we asked you to “Nominate someone (yourself?) for the GPhA Board.” It should have read “…to the GPhA Board.” We apologize for the grammatical error.*

Happy birthday!

Welcome to the new Cannon Drugs in Chickamauga — opened just this week and co-owned by GPhA members Neal and Carolyn Florence and Heather Staton!

Help your patients return unneeded meds

We realize most pharmacies can’t take back unused medication, but there are two easy ways to suggest to your patients:

1. Mix it with used cat litter (or something equally disgusting) and throw it out.
2. Check out www.PrescriptionDrugDisposal.com for an interactive Georgia map:

Pretty slick, huh?

It’s the other guy

Lawmakers: We all agree that high drug prices are a problem!

[Crowd cheering]

Lawmakers: We’re going to solve it for our constituents!

[Crowd cheering]

Lawmakers: We’re in this together!

[Crowd cheering]

Lawmakers: Of course our party are the noble warrior heroes, and the other side of the aisle is full of demons spawned from the depths of Hell….

[Bickering commences.]

It also does windows

Anthem promises that its new PBM, IngenioRx, will be friendly, transparent, give rebates back to patients, simplify services … all while saving Anthem customers $4 billion a year, and, we assume, curing bad breath and providing world peace.

Pharma’s in his blood I guess

Pharma Bro™ Martin Shkreli is apparently still running his, um, pharma empire from prison. The Wall Street Journal reports he was using a smuggled cell phone* and “remains the shadow power at Phoenixus AG, the drug company that became a national lightning rod for jacking up the prices of rare drugs under its former name, Turing Pharmaceuticals.”

There oughta be a law….

A 6-year-old boy in Oregon contracts tetanus. Spends 54 days suffering in the hospital (47 in the ICU, sedated in the dark with a tracheostomy and on a ventilator), plus 17 days in rehab. Parents still refuse to vaccinate him against tetanus or any other disease.

Medicare-for-All: How would you do it?

Republicans and Democrats agree* that it’s not a bad idea to let a lot more people buy into Medicare. But the devil is in the details — what would that look like? An alternative to employer plans? A replacement? How would premiums work?

You get the idea: Choices, choices, choices. Why not read what the experts think while you play “Build Your Own ‘Medicare for All’ Plan” from the Times?

* Yes, really. A whopping 69% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats support Medicare buy-in plans for adults 50 and older.

Time’s running out: Nominate someone (yourself?) for the GPhA Board

The GPhA Board of Directors sets the goals of the association — what services to offer, what policies to support, how best to spend the association’s resources, and more.

You can be a part of that. You can be one of the 11 members of the board. (Yes, there are requirements and responsibilities; you can read them at GPhA.org/2019board.)

For the 2019-2020 board, GPhA is looking to fill three seats, each with three-year terms:

• One person representing the Academy of Independent Pharmacists
• Two people to be at-large members elected by the GPhA membership

Nominate yourself or someone else to run for a seat on the board. We encourage applications from all pharmacy practice settings. (If you have questions, feel free to contact Governance Manager Merrily Bennett at mbennett@gpha.org.)

Click here to go directly to the nomination form.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. EST on March 11, 2019. The election itself will begin May 23, 2019 with results announced on June 14 at the Georgia Pharmacy Convention.

Don’t just stand there, offer to lead. Be a bigger part of Georgia pharmacy — serve on the board!

Jasper Drug Store wins innovation award

Jasper Drug Store in (obviously) Jasper — and owner Jack Dunn — earned the National Community Pharmacists Association’s Innovation Center Excellence (NICE) award for Best Customer Convenience Improvement.

What improvement, you ask? For its “extraordinary work in adding a section at the pharmacy dedicated to babies and mothers who are expecting,” according Kurt Proctor, president of the NCPA Innovation Center.

Ban on surprise billing passes Georgia Senate

Per the Rome News-Tribune: “A formula in the bill would determine what the insurer must pay the provider, with the patient’s share limited to the in-network cost.”

By any other name would smell as sweet

While you might expect the company created by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase to be called something like “Augustus Iaponius Centarius,” instead they’ve decided to name it “Haven.”

The opioid-crackdown backlash

Not unexpectedly, as opioid prescribing comes under tighter scrutiny, patients who have relied on them for chronic pain say they’re getting the short end of a sharp stick.

But it’s more complicated, because there’s little evidence of whether opioids are even effective for chronic pain, and there might be better alternatives.

Don’t miss out on your APhA immunization certificate

Sure, you learned how to give immunizations, but having an APhA certificate helps you differentiate yourself — and makes sure your patients are getting the best treatment.

That’s why GPhA is offering “APhA’s Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery: A Certificate Program for Pharmacists” on March 31 in Macon (on the campus of Mercer University).

This is always one of our hottest courses, so get to GPhA.org/2019immunization fast before the class fills!

Asbestos in cosmetics

Foods and drugs have to be tested for safety, but not so cosmetics. That’s left to industry self-regulation… and an FDA warning to avoid three cosmetics products sold by Claire’s because they contain asbestos. (Claire’s says the fibers aren’t asbestos but is removing the products anyway; the FDA says we need stricter rules for cosmetics.)

The Canadian connection

About 500 U.S. cities, counties, school districts, and private employers get their medications from Canada via CanaRx, saving a huge chunk of change. And, while the FDA warned against using the company (claiming it sent “unapproved” and “misbranded” drugs), the agency couldn’t actually cite any instances of harm. So the status quo remains.

And don’t skimp on the personal jetpacks, either

Hoping to live forever — or at least see those flying cars they were promised in the ’50s — older people are turning to off-label uses of drugs like metformin.

At a recent scientific forum on aging, one of the researchers […] asked the 300 or so people in attendance to raise their hands if they were already taking metformin for aging. “Half the audience raised their hands.”

Really, what more can you say?

Giant, inflatable “Captain Colons” continue nationwide tour after original giant, inflatable colon was stolen last October.

Georgia hospitals hit with Medicare penalties

One in four Georgia hospitals will be penalized by Medicare for safety issues. For some (e.g., St. Mary’s in Athens) it’s the first time being penalized . For others (e.g., Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah) it’s the fifth year in a row. Per Georgia Health News:

The Georgia hospitals facing pay reductions include some of the largest and best known. They include Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta; AU Medical Center in Augusta; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta; Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus; and Coliseum Northside Hospital in Macon.

The good news? Last year it was 35 percent of the state’s hospitals being penalized.

House approves limited marijuana oil production

The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow limited production and distribution of low-THC oil from marijuana plants within the state. As the AJC explains:

Georgia has allowed patients suffering from severe seizures, deadly cancers and other illnesses to use medical marijuana oil since 2015. But it’s against the law to grow, buy, sell or transport the drug, leaving patients no permissible method of obtaining it.

Georgians demand chance to switch insurers

A group of Georgians has filed a class-action suit against Anthem, claiming the insurer misrepresented its network — saying (among other things) that it would cover care at WellStar facilities; the company never reached an agreement with WellStar.

Because of that (and other reasons), the plaintiffs are demanding the right to switch insurers even though open enrollment has ended.

Put your money where your mouth is

Drug companies: You know, we could lower costs if we didn’t have to pay discounts to PBMs.

U.S. Senator Mike Braun: Great! Let’s ban those discounts, shall we? (“Braun’s bill would ban rebates in all private plans, including employer-sponsored ones.”

PBMs, not surprisingly, don’t like the idea.

FDA approves nasal ketamine

The headline says it all: The FDA has approved the first version of the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine for people with treatment-resistant depression.

“The recommended course of the newly approved drug is twice a week, for four weeks, with boosters as needed, along with one of the commonly used oral antidepressants.”

Virtual lobbying, NACDS style

Want to send a message about DIR reform, provider status, and other pro-pharmacy policies? Lucky for you, the good folks at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores have a way to do it without leaving your desk: the Virtual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill. Click the link, give the site some basic info about where you live, and you can customize a message that will be sent right to your U.S. congressfolk.

Frankie* say relax!

Pharmacy technician was ranked the #9 least stressful job by CareerCast. Pharmacist wasn’t in either the top or bottom 10 (the whole list isn’t available).

Because we know you’re interested, the least stressful overall job is apparently diagnostic medical sonographer, followed by compliance officer.

* I’ll take ’80s Pop Music References for $400, Alex.

The long(ish) read: quitting antidepressants

Do it slowly. “Mustering solid evidence, two psychiatrists have denounced their field’s standard guidelines for how best to wean patients from depression medications.”

Gottlieb resigns

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has resigned.

Important: Any pharmacies with tornado damage?

If you know of any independent pharmacies that were damaged by this past weekend’s tornadoes, please drop a note to Jeff Lurey at jlurey@gpha.org. Reps from our Academy of Independent Pharmacists are reaching out in the affected area, but can’t always get through.

PTCB is changing its certification requirements

The PTCB certification process is changing in 2020. It will be easier for courses to be recognized as meeting CE standards, more work experience will be counted, and the exams will be streamlined and updated. Check out the details at the PTCB site.

Accutane looks to be safe after all

File under “mythbusting”: A new study shows that there’s no relation between Accutane and depression.

That wasn’t the reaction they were expecting

Eli Lilly: “We’re offering an identical half-price version of our insulin for people who pay out of pocket!”

Lawmakers: ORLY? Sounds like “PR acrobatics*” to us. Let’s investigate the company.

Other quotes:

• “[This] raises the question how in the world can you justify the price for the non-generic.”
• “What we have learned through this announcement is that lowering the cost of this important drug is much more doable than previously thought.”

*Actual quote

Speaking of insulin

The FDA needs to speed up the approval process for generics, and lawmakers say that agencies recent guidance actually does the opposite and needs to change.

The [2018] guidance will bring new insulin products into market in 2020, but the current regulatory framework could delay the introduction of low-cost insulin products into the market in the short-term, when they are needed most, the senators wrote.

Don’t rinse

Using mouthwash can raise your blood pressure by killing a type of beneficial bacteria — a kind that converts dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, and thus helps regulate normal blood pressure.

Maybe not the beginning of the end…

…but perhaps the end of the beginning: Second patient cured of HIV. A stem-cell treatment for cancer apparently put his HIV into “sustained remission” 12 years to the day after the “London Patient” was the first person cured of the disease.

Once more, with feeling

Yet another massive study — 657,461 children — confirms that MMR vaccines don’t cause autism. But maybe we should wait to hear what random, untrained celebrities think before jumping to any conclusions.

Quick update on our bills

Both of GPhA’s major bills — HB 233 and HB 323, which will curb some of the worst PBM abuses — passed out of their respective House committees unanimously earlier this week.

This is a big victory for Georgia’s pharmacists and their patients, but it’s only one hurdle. Next the bills go to the House floor, where they enjoy strong support. (You can read more about each bill in Greg Reybold’s week 5 legislative update.)

We owe a special thanks to the amazing Jennifer Shannon, owner of Lily’s Pharmacy in Johns Creek, who came to the capitol to testify before the committee on HB 233.

Now we need your help in the Senate. Please come to the capitol as part of one of the upcoming Pharmacist Advocacy Teams (March 6 or March 13 for two hours) to help lobby your state senator. You can find more info at GPhA.org/atthecapitol. Let’s keep up the momentum!

Time to change your showerheads

Legionnaires’ disease is on the rise in Georgia.

Personal recommendation: Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live, which explains (on page 96) why municipal water is more likely to have the Legionnaires Mycobacterium than deep-well water is.

Parkinson’s treatment shows promise

We don’t get overly excited every time a “major breakthrough” is announced, but we like to report them anyway. In this case, a pilot study from the University of Bristol found “Patients who had implants to replace damaged brain cells showed 100 percent improvement in reawakening portions of their brains harmed by Parkinson’s.” That sounds like pretty good news.

But are they free-range?

Green Gorilla is introducing a lip balm that contains CBD. Why? Why not? And if you think it’s not just about capitalizing on a buzzword, read this:

In addition, Green Gorilla pure CBD products are USDA NOP certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, kosher, paleo, gluten-free, sugar-free, THC-free, and do not contain artificial dyes, coloring, preservatives or additives.

This won’t be controversial

House Democrats introduced a bill for “Medicare for All.” But what would that mean, exactly? Could mean a lot of things, as FierceHealthcare explains, from “good-bye private health insurers,” to a Medicare buy-in option, to a Medicaid option on insurance exchanges.

(One thing it’s not is a British system, where healthcare workers are employed by the government. Ugh*. All the options envision the government as payor, not provider.)

* “Ugh” to the UK’s National Health System is not an official policy stance of the Georgia Pharmacy Association.

Who needs a field when a dark basement will do?

University of California, Berkeley, synthetic biologists have genetically enginneered a yeast to produce THC, CBD, and “novel cannabinoids not found in the [marijuana] plant itself.”

Next stop: Adding those genes to kudzu*.

* Fiction writers: If you use this idea, we expect full credit.

Deep-fried Oreos are right out

What foods should you avoid when trying to lose weight? Medical News Today has the answer. (Spoiler: If it’s good, it’s probably on the list.)