Buzz Newsletter 03/26/26

Welcome to the March 26 edition of the GPhA Buzz Newsletter.

 

This weekly round up of pharmacy news and information is a member benefit, and if you are having difficulty receiving all GPhA emails, please whitelist our domain as well as glueup.com. You can find instructions for that on our website here.

Despite falling short of original goals, Pfizer is moving forward with regulatory submissions for a Lyme disease vaccine. The late stage study showed more than 70% efficacy in reducing cases of Lyme disease. There is currently no approved vaccine for the disease that affects almost half a million people annually. While most cases can be treated with antibiotics, some patients experience a lifetime of fatigue and joint pain due to the disease. 

For a country with some pretty tight drug laws, Australia is leading the way in a new PTSD therapy using MDNA, better known in some circles (probably not these) as Ecstasy or Molly. Similar therapy studies in the U.S. were squashed by the FDA in 2024. 

 

As an empathogen, MDNA produces feelings of openness and acceptance, which when used in conjunction with highly trained therapists are showing longer-lasting results in the processing of intense trauma. It's expensive, limited in availability, and it doesn't work for every patient. But those who have successfully gone through the treatment say it's life-changing. 

$14 generic semaglutide seems like a dream to those in the U.S. who are paying hundreds, if not thousands, for their medications, but in India that price point is right around the corner as the patent expires tomorrow. As the LA Times reports, 42 companies are poised to launch generic versions of semaglutide in the coming months. 

 

Canada was actually the first country to have an expired patent but their regulatory body hasn't approved a generic version as yet. 

 

Meanwhile, the FDA has approved a higher dose of Wegovy, increasing the maximum dose from 2.4 mg to 7.2 mg. 

Animal testing has been, and remains, a large part of the safety and efficacy testing in drug manufacturing. However, for many it makes us uneasy and sad. Now the FDA is encouraging drug makers to use animal model alternatives, so much so that the National Institutes of Health is investing $150 million in those alternatives. 

 

The guidance isn't complete nor is it required reading, but it is hoped that more manufacturers will look to other testing methodologies like AI before turning to animal testing. Experts say that the U.S. is a long way from abandoning animal testing altogether, however. 

We are fascinated by this coverage of Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre in South Africa, where scientists work to discover drugs to cure some of the world's diseases. Based at the University of Cape Town, the lab goes "hunting" for new medicines through molecular chemistry. 

 

The FDA added a warning label to products using carbidopa/levodopa products due to a vitamin B6 deficiency that can lead to seizures in patients with Parkinson's. Healthcare professionals are told to get baseline B6 levels before prescribing. 

 

It's been the ideal for years -- oral insulin instead of subcutaneous injections. But the acids in the digestive system have proven hard to get around, destroying the medication before it gets to do its job. Now researchers at Kumamoto University may have found the workaround: a cyclic peptide that can pass through the small intestine, giving the insulin a chance to get to the bloodstream. 

Be extra careful when opening your next Barbie doll package. Police in Missouri found fentanyl inside the packaging of a few dolls sold at a discount store. All of the "compromised" units were sold but recovered. 

 

We're guessing there's someone in the local drug cartel that got in trouble for accidentally letting those packages go to sale instead of falling off the back of a truck. 

There's a lot going on at the Georgia Pharmacy Association. Some highlights include: 

 

Register today for a two-part business goal planning series led by GPhA Board member Mollie Durham and sponsored by the Academy of Employee Pharmacists. Part I on March 31 teaches attendees the art of the SWOT analysis, and Part II on April 19 teaches SMART goal setting. Take your career to the next level with these informative programs. 

 

Our new member referral program is up and running. See more details here, and make sure you invite your non-member colleagues to join GPhA in 2026. 

The 2026 Georgia Pharmacy Convention brings together hardworking pharmacists, pharmacy owners, technicians, and decision makers looking to expand their knowledge and improve their practice of pharmacy. 

 

Join 300+ of your colleagues and friends for a week full of insightful CE courses, lunches, and networking on beautiful Amelia Island. Early bird registration ends March 31, so make sure to get your GPhA Member Exclusive discount on registration today! 

Spring Region Meetings are being scheduled, and we have a lot of amazing plans for our members, thanks to the hard work of our Region Presidents. 

 

You can find the full list and registration links here, but in the meantime, here are the Regions with set dates and locations: 

 

Thursday, March 26 @ 6:30pm

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Savannah 

 

Tuesday, April 21 @ 6:30pm 

Piedmont Brewery, Griffin 

 

Sunday, April 19 @ 1pm 

American Axes, Marietta 

 

Thursday, April 16 @ 6pm 

Bearfoot Tavern, Macon 

 

Thursday, April 9 @ 6:30pm 

Athenic Brewing, Athens

 

 

Beginning this summer, the Georgia Pharmacy Association has four Board of Directors positions opening up -- three At-Large positions and one Academy of Clinical and Health System Pharmacy (ACHP) representative. 

 

This is your opportunity to personally enhance the profession of pharmacy and strategically guide the Georgia Pharmacy Association into the future. Please consider submitting your application to the GPhA Nominating Committee now. 

 

 

Four positions will be filled through an election process – three Board Members At-Large and one ACHP Representative. Board members will serve a three-year term through the summer of 2029. Nominations will close on March 27, 2026.  

 

Eligible At-Large Board Members must be: 

Eligible ACHP Representative on the GPhA board must be:  

 

1. No currently employed staff member, former staff member who was employed by the Association at any time during the previous two years, or Voting Member who has an immediate family member currently serving on the Board shall be eligible for membership on the Board.   

2. No more than two (2) Voting Members who are owners or employees of the same company or enterprise may serve on the Board simultaneously.   

3. The chairperson of an Academy shall not be eligible to serve concurrently as one of the three (3) Academy elected positions on the Board.  

 

 

 

Eligible candidates should submit their name to the GPhA Nominating Committee or alternatively Nomination by Petition as listed below. 

 

Nominations will close on March 27, 2026. Shortly after, the Nominating Committee will review all applications and give recommendations to the Board of Directors. 

Voting will be conducted electronically beginning Monday, May 18, 2026, and ending on Thursday, June 13, 2026, at midnight. Prevailing candidates will be announced and installed during the GPhA Annual Membership Meeting at the Georgia Pharmacy Convention, Friday June 19, 2026. 

 

Eligible voters for the At-Large positions are those that are active members, honorary active members and emeritus members of GPhA. Eligible voters for the ACHP representative positions are those that are active members, honorary active members and emeritus members of GPhA and who are also voting members of ACHP.

 

If you have concerns about your membership type and voting eligibility, please contact Kelli Persons at kpersons@gpha.org. 

 

Article 5, Section 4 - Nomination by Petition  

Candidates may also be nominated by petition. If a candidate is nominated by petition signed by at least five percent (5%) of the Voting Membership for an At-Large position, or by at least five percent (5%) of the Voting Membership of an Academy for an Academy-elected position, the ballot submitted to the respective Voting Members must include the name of the petition-nominated candidate(s), and will identify those recommended by the Board and those nominated by petition. If there are petition-nominated candidates, the ballot may include more than the number of candidates stipulated in Article V, Section 6 below.