Buzz Newsletter 12/11/25
Newborn Hepatitis Vaccine Not Recommended
As we thought, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 to rollback its recommendation of the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth, instead recommending it only to babies born to mothers who test positive before delivery.
Administering the vaccine to newborns has been common practice in the U.S. for more than 30 years, and multiple pediatric associations have voiced their concern for the recommendation (or lack thereof).
It's important to note that major health insurance industry groups have stated that they will continue to cover the vaccine administration through at least the end of 2026.
Oklahoma Pharmacists Get Paid
On Monday, Oklahoma's Attorney General announced a settlement with CVS Caremark to the tune of $5 million for underpaying Oklahoma pharmacies for prescription reimbursement.
More than 68,000 prescriptions are covered in the settlement, which will be paid to the AG's office and then disbursed to eligible pharmacies accordingly. The Deputy Attorney General of Oklahoma, Michael Leake, oversees the state's PBM Compliance and Enforcement Unit, and said of the settlement:
"This outcome would not have been possible without independent and community pharmacies willing to document their losses and stand up for their patients. Their complaints gave us the evidence we needed to secure restitution, penalties, and meaningful reforms that will protect Oklahoma patients and pharmacies."While CVS Caremark complied willingly with the settlement, the PBM still denies any wrongdoing and "agreed to the settlement to avoid the costs and uncertainties of continued litigation."
Some Cancers Might Not Need Treatment
The diagnoses of cancer in patients under age 50 have gone up significantly since the early 90's, that much is true.
Some doctors are questioning whether or not those cancers need treatment, or are we overmedicating younger patients whose cancer might never pose a problem had it gone undetected? Is the cure worse than the disease will ever be?
This article in the New York Times (gifted) examines the pros and cons of early detection for some forms of cancer (not all), as well as possible reasons for the uptick in early diagnoses.
Low Dose Treatment Better for Melanoma
Speaking of cancer treatments, scientists from Sweden published a study that reports using smaller amounts of ipilimumab for treatment of malignant melanoma might be preferable to standard larger doses.
The full recommended dose of ipilimumab, alongside nivolumab, can cause significant side effects in patients. But Swedish doctors have started using smaller doses of ipilimumab and increased the number of patients who responded to treatment.
Another Strain of mpox Discovered
A patient in England has tested positive for a new strain of the mpox virus (the virus formerly known as monkeypox which frankly, is way more fun to say). It's a mix of two major types of the virus, and UK health officials are still trying to figure out the significance of the discovery.
Diabetes Linked to Cardiac Death in Young Adults
This seems like it might be obvious, but Danish researchers say people with diabetes have a definitive higher risk for sudden cardiac events than those without diabetes, and it's especially true for younger patients.
According to the study, the average 30-year-old with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes had life expectancies 14.2 and 7.9 years shorter, respectively.
The full journal article can be found here.
Donate to the Foundation Today
If you haven't planned your end-of-year tax-deductible donations, we would humbly ask you to consider a gift to The Georgia Pharmacy Foundation.
The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) arm of the Association, and supports science and education to advance the practice of pharmacy. Currently, the Foundation is rebuilding its scholarship program so that it can continue to support pharmacy students across all four schools of pharmacy in Georgia.
You can give a one-time gift, or perhaps a recurring monthly donation today.
Moving Sale! (Almost) Everything Must Go!
The Georgia Pharmacy Association is relocating our office space in 2026, and will not need to take all of our office furniture with us to the new space. We have a number of quality pieces of office furniture for sale, including desk chairs, work stations, and filing cabinets. Best of all, the proceeds from the sale benefit The Foundation.
Check out all of the furniture available on our website here.
Memberships Expire 12/31
It's time to renew your Georgia Pharmacy Association membership!
Renewal notices have gone out, and so many members have responded and joined GPhA for another year. If you haven't gotten your notification or have any questions at all, let us know via email at info@gpha.org or by phone at 404-231-5074. In the meantime, check out our step-by-step renewal guide here.
The Buzz Goes on Break
The Georgia Pharmacy Association will be closed for the holidays, and the Buzz will be paused while we celebrate with friends and family. The last Buzz of 2025 will be Thursday, December 18, and will resume Thursday, January 8.
