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Sexual problems when taking certain antidepressants aren’t news. But what’s less talked about are similar side effects for people who stop taking them — although “health authorities in Europe and Canada recently acknowledged that the medications can lead to lasting sexual issues.”

The details are a bit … personal, but let’s just say patients are very disturbed. So set your Google Alerts to “post-SSRI sexual dysfunction,” but keep in mind that not everyone believes it’s real^* — or at least that it’s related to the medication.

“I think it’s depression recurring. Until proven otherwise, that’s what it is,” said Dr. Anita Clayton, the chief of psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

She has a bit of clout, having been one of the first to publish about

Hormone replacement therapy, often taken by women who are experiencing the downsides of post-menopausal hormone change, has another effect: It seem to protect against dementia.

The important kicker, though, is that to get the most of that benefit it needs to be started early, according to a new study out of Weill Cornell Medicine. And by “early” they mean as soon as menopausal symptoms start, i.e., in perimenopause.

If that happens — if she starts taking them early and keeps going for 10 or more years — “there was a 26% reduced risk of dementia.”

Quoth the lead researcher:

“[I]n the right woman, at the right dose, and for the right duration of time, I believe that hormone replacement therapy can be one of our most powerful tools to reduce a woman’s risk for cognitive decline.”

Some important updates regarding quality standards and changes to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards are coming that may impact your practice.

To give some background, pharmacies in the Revelation Pharma Network follow standard operating procedures that are built around processes developed by USP. While USP is not a regulatory agency and does not carry the force of law, many state boards of pharmacy as well as the FDA recognize USP’s compounding standards as the measure of quality assurance that a compounding pharmacy should follow.

On November 1, 2023, new editions of USP chapters pertaining to nonsterile, sterile, and hazardous drug compounding will become compendially applicable, meaning that they are the most current versions and regulatory agencies may choose to adopt them.

It is important to note that these new editions are not simple modifications but are largely complete re-writes of the current chapters and represent significant