GPhA Buzz September 4, 2025
Guidance for COVID-19 Immunization Practices
Pharmacists are in a state of flux when it comes to administration of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccination. Our recommendations from the Board of Pharmacy and our own members is that for now, pharmacists can only administer the 2025-26 vaccine with a doctor's prescription under the Pharmacy Practice Act.
The FDA has only recommended the vaccine for patients over aged 65 or with specific conditions. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has not issued a formal recommendation yet, and is not scheduled to meet again until September 18 and 19.
We recommend reading this article from Healthbeat for more details, as explained by GPhA Board of Directors member Johnathan Hamrick and GPhA's VIP of the Academy of Independent Pharmacy, Jonathan Marquess.
This is all happening at the same time the CDC has escalated the COVID-19 risk to moderate in Georgia, based on wastewater viral activity. And cases are on the rise in major cities in the U.S., including New York City.
All of this confusion over the updated COVID-19 vaccines has us wondering if insurers will cover the immunization without recommendations from ACIP. Experts are leaning toward a yes, as one spokesperson said that the determinations will be "informed by science, the latest medical evidence and data," not just the recommendations out of the CDC/ACIP.
FDA Wants Precautions on Nicotine Pouches
This week, the FDA called on manufacturers of nicotine pouches to make their package child-resistant. According to the press release, approximately 72% of nicotine pouch exposures happen in children under five.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and in children can be toxic or deadly at doses as low as 1 milligram, causing nausea and vomiting similar to other poisons. These pouches are made of powdered nicotine and usually flavored, and they dissolve in the mouth and are absorbed through the gums.
Walgreens Goes Private
After years of troubled financial news, Walgreens has been acquired by Sycamore Partners for $10B and is officially a privately-held company. Sycamore has replaced Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth with the former head of Staples, Mike Motz.
Walgreens subsidiaries, including CareCentrix and VillageMD, will be spun off and operated as separate companies. No word yet on if or how this will impact the retail stores, beyond the closures that are already planned.
Long-term Insomnia Helped by Hemp
A study published last week shows that insomnia patients using cannabis-based products are sleeping better and report less anxiety.
Over 18 months of treatment, patients in the study reported a reduction in pain as well as the improved quality of their sleep and a decrease in their overall depression and anxiety symptoms.
Georgia's General Assembly will take up SB 220, "Putting Patients First Act," in January when the session reconvenes. GPhA will be tracking it along with a number of other healthcare issues in our weekly Legislative Updates.
Non-Opioid Pain Meds In Play
Japanese scientists have developed a non-opioid painkiller that is proving to be just as powerful as the highly addictive opioids, without the danger of addiction.
The drug is called ADRIANA, a "novel analgesic" that works on pain from a different angle than other pain killers. There's a lot of science-y stuff in the report from Science Daily about adrenoreceptors, which I won't begin to try and summarize for this email. But it sounds cool.
FDA Approves Early Alzheimer's Treatment
Eisai U.S. announced FDA approval of lecanemab-irmb, sold under the name LEQEMBI® IQLIKTM.
The once-weekly dose is administered with an auto-injector and is approved for use in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. It's not preventative, but meant to slow the progression of the disease.
Texas Closes Haunted Hospital
Yorktown, Texas, has ended the exploration of the Yorktown Memorial Hospital, deeming it unfit for human occupancy.
Now, to be clear, no actual live patients have been in the hospital since the early 1990s. However, there are a considerable number of reports that some dead patients have lingered for a number of years. Located southeast of San Antonio, the hospital has been a favorite haunting ground (pun absolutely intended) for paranormal enthusiasts.
