Jay Leno's Health Care Humor Opens ASHP Midyear

The American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) 2014 Midyear Clinical Conference opened with a smorgasbord of laughs, as acclaimed comedian and late-night talk show host Jay Leno delivered the keynote address.

Bringing his signature comedic style to modern health care issues, Leno kept more than 20,000 pharmacists laughing throughout his address.

“Hey, have you heard about a new app that’s come out?” Leno asked ASHP attendees. “It keeps track of all the time you spend playing Candy Crush, and then deducts that from our life expectancy.”

His quips on product safety quickly led him to the Affordable Care Act, spinning several of its common critiques into jokes about its expense and reach.

“I got a prostate examination the other day,” Leno quipped. “It was done by a drone.”

Even obesity, which affects more than one-third of adults and 17% of children and adolescents, was not spared from Leno’s tongue. His humor took on recent food excesses—just watch the commercials that air during any sporting event—as well as research suggesting obesity’s ties to viruses.

“What if obesity is a virus,” he said. “What does that mean, that you can call in fat to work now? . . .‘I’m going to take some M&Ms, sit on the couch until the swelling goes down. . . I got a touch of obesity.’”