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CMA passes five tobacco-related resolutions

The California Medical Association (CMA) has been a tireless advocate for stronger restrictions on the tobacco industry for decades. This weekend, the CMA House of Delegates (HOD) continued that tradition, adopting five antismoking resolutions. The resolutions address increasing the legal age for tobacco sales, the use of electronic cigarettes and a tobacco-free military. Resolution 104-14 asks CMA to support the removal of the tobacco control pre-emption from the California Penal Code so that local governments would have the ability to increase the legal age of tobacco sales to 21. Resolutions 101-14, ...

CMA Foundation launches free antibiotic clinical guidelines mobile app

The week of November 17-23, 2014, is "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week" – a campaign to highlight the problem of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. Every year at least 2 million Americans become infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria and at least 23,000 people die from these infections. This cold and flu season, the California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation's Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE) project reminds physicians and patients to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics. To assist physicians and other clinicians in these efforts, ...

CDPH publishes quarantine guidelines for travelers at risk of contracting or spreading Ebola

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) yesterday published statewide guidelines for quarantining individuals with suspected cases of Ebola and those who are at high risk of contracting or spreading the disease. These rules are consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and include a mandatory 21-day quarantine for any travelers who had contact with an Ebola patient, whether or not the travelers are showing symptoms. However, the state said it would allow local health authorities to enforce the order on a “case-by-case” basis, with varying ...

UC medical centers ready to provide in-patient care for confirmed cases of Ebola

Last week, the University of California (UC) Office of the President informed the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) that all five UC medical centers were ready to provide in-patient care for Californians who have confirmed cases of Ebola. According to the UC Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and Service John Stobo, M.D., the UC medical centers—which include Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco facilities—are “committed to addressing the health needs of this population and the public at large, as well as ensuring the safety of ...

HHS urges physicians to help control spread of Ebola in U.S.

The first case of Ebola Virus Disease (Ebola) diagnosed in the United States was laboratory-confirmed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 30, 2014, in a person who had traveled from Liberia to Dallas, Texas. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is urging all health care professionals to assist in our country’s response to the Ebola outbreak and to be ready and aware to help control the spread of Ebola domestically. Early recognition is critical to controlling the spread of Ebola virus. Specifically, physicians ...

Enterovirus D68 confirmed in California; Physicians urged to report unexplained respiratory illnesses to local health department

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has confirmed four cases of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) in patients in San Diego (3) and Ventura (1) counties.  From mid-August to September 22, 2014, a total of 175 people in 27 states have been confirmed to have respiratory illness caused by EV-D68. More cases are anticipated in the coming weeks. Physicians are urged to consider EV-D68 as a possible cause of acute, unexplained severe respiratory illness, even if the patient does not have fever; and consider laboratory testing of respiratory specimens for enteroviruses ...

Mandatory flu vaccination in all licensed health care facilities in San Bernardino County

Health Advisory   Date:        September 18, 2014 To:           All Licensed Health Care Facilities in San Bernardino County From:       Maxwell Ohikhuare, MD, Health Officer Subject:   Health Officer Order Regarding Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers Influenza season will begin in the fall.  In your roles as leaders in healthcare and mine as the County Health Officer, I know that we share common goals: Minimizing the spread of Communicable Disease like influenza Providing excellent healthcare for our community and  Keeping our healthcare workforce healthy The best way ...

DEA announces new rules to expand opportunities for consumers to return unused controlled substances to pharmacies

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Monday that it would allow consumers to return unused controlled substances to approved facilities, including hospitals with onsite pharmacies and retail pharmacies. Under the new rules, consumers and their families will also be allowed to mail unused prescription drugs to authorized collection agencies using packages that are expected to be available at pharmacies, libraries and senior centers. These new regulations will go into effect October 9. Up to now, controlled substances could not legally be returned to pharmacies. Instead, the Controlled Substances Act ...

Encourage your patients to participate in 'National Prescription Drug Take Back Day' Sept. 27

Abuse of prescription drugs, including pain relievers, continues to be a significant problem in United States. In California, 4.7 percent of persons aged 12 or older nationwide reported having used pain relievers nonmedically in the past year according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health. SAMHSA data also reveals that 69 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers got them through friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the family medicine cabinet. Proper disposal of unused prescription drugs helps ...

Cyclosporiasis and Ebola Virus - Dept. of Public Health

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges medical providers to specifically request Cyclospora testing. Cryptosporidiosis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. In the United States, foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce. Click here for more information and recommendations to medical providers.. The risk of the spread of Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in California is low. While the risk is low, state and local public health officials in California are monitoring the situation closely and taking steps ...