FDA wants opioid pulled from market due to risk of abuse Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that Endo Pharmaceuticals remove its opioid pain medication, reformulated Opana ER (oxymorphone hydrochloride), from the market. After careful consideration, the agency is concerned that the benefits of the drug may no longer outweigh its risks. This is the first time the FDA has taken steps to remove a currently marketed opioid pain medication from sale due to the public health consequences of abuse. The FDA’s decision is based on a review of all available data and follows a March 2017 ... June 21, 2017 General Food and Drug Administration, Prescription Drugs, Drug Abuse, Opioids 0 0 Comment Read More »
Pharmacy board announces rules for pharmacy drug take-back services The California State Board of Pharmacy has finalized rules for pharmacy prescription drug take-back programs. The proposed regulations are part of statewide efforts to combat prescription drug misuse by making it easier for patients to safely dispose of old and unwanted drugs. A significant component of the prescription drug abuse and diversion problem stems from misuse of unused drugs. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, over 71 percent of prescription pain medications are obtained from family and friends, and 5 percent took the medication from a friend ... June 21, 2017 General Prescription Drugs 0 0 Comment Read More »
MIPS group reporting registration period ends June 30 Physician groups planning to use the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) web interface or the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) patient satisfaction survey data to satisfy requirements of the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) must register by June 30, 2017. Please note that registration is only required if a group chooses to submit data using one of these two mechanisms. Groups do not need to register if they plan to submit MIPS data through other submission methods, such as a qualified registry, qualified clinical ... June 21, 2017 CMA, Medicare MACRA, Medicare 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA's Health Law Library updated with 2017 content CMA On-Call, the California Medical Association (CMA) online health law library, has been updated with 2017 content. One of CMA's most valuable member benefits, On-Call contains nearly 5,000 pages of up-to-date legal information on a variety of subjects of everyday importance to practicing physicians. The searchable online library contains all the information available in the California Physician's Legal Handbook (CPLH), an annual publication from CMA's Center for Legal Affairs. New documents for 2017 include: Promoting Quality of Life for Older Patients (#3504) MACRA Overview ... June 21, 2017 CMA, General Legal Advocacy, CMA On-Call, Health Law Library 0 0 Comment Read More »
President's Message June 2017 JUNE 2017 “A Year of Awesome!” Dear Members, Colleagues and Friends, It’s absolutely astounding to believe that the past year has flown by so quickly. It has been such an honor and a privilege to serve as President of SBCMS for 2016-17, and I’m very proud of the accomplishments we’ve made during the past year: Completed a new Strategic Plan to guide SBCMS for the next three years; Maintained our position as the 7th largest component medical society ... June 20, 2017 President's Message President's Message 0 0 Comment Read More »
Southern California Medical Museum: Celebrating modern medicine by exploring the history of healing The Southern California Medical Museum (SCMM) houses a treasure trove of fascinating medical, dental and pharmacy artifacts, wartime surgery kits, impressive medical artwork and photographs, rare and antique bottles used to hold and dispense salves, pills, powders and elixirs, hard to believe quackery devices and numerous special exhibits. Click here to read more from Desert Mobile Home News - June 1, 2017. June 2, 2017 General, Press Releases Southern California Medical Museum 0 0 Comment Read More »
President's Message May 2017 MAY 2017 Political Advocacy…Your Practice and Future Depend on It Do you wish to continue to practice medicine and preserve quality patient care? If so, then I urge you to keep reading…. One of the most vital functions that we, as a local medical society, carry out for our SBCMS membership of 3,000 is that of political advocacy. This continual, behind the scenes communication to and with our elected officials and government representatives goes to the very “heart” of our pledge and responsibility to society to save lives and ensure that the ... May 25, 2017 General, President's Message Advocacy, Legislative Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
DHCS gets federal grant to increase access to opioid treatment in California The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has received a $90 million grant from the federal government to expand drug treatment services in California, primarily in counties and tribal communities that have higher rates of opioid-related overdose deaths. One key initiative will target those areas with an innovative approach to increase access to medications used to treat opioid addiction. DHCS will use a large portion of the grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to expand Californians’ access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, ... May 22, 2017 General Drug Abuse, Medical Solutions to Drug Abuse, Opioids, Prescription Drugs 0 0 Comment Read More »
6 tips to help mothers prevent diabetes, make healthy choices Preventing type 2 diabetes requires self-management, motivation, and healthy lifestyle changes — but how do you encourage patients to improve their health while caring for the health of others? This is a common question Catherine Gutfreund, M.D., a primary care physician at Kaiser Permanente, encounters while caring for busy moms and families in her practice. Caring for Mom: A Unique Kind of Patient As a family physician, Dr. Gutfreund has cared for mothers from diverse family settings—single mothers, full time working moms, women with several children and the "sandwich generation" mom, caring ... May 22, 2017 General Diabetes, Public Health, Well-being 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA joins partnership to raise awareness of the association between diabetes and cardiovascular disease The California Medical Association (CMA) has joined the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease to raise awareness of the co-occurrence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The program, “Making the Diabetes Heart Connection,” is a partnership that includes the American Heart and Stroke Association, American Medical Women’s Association, California Chronic Care Coalition, California Health Collaborative, American College of Cardiology (CA Chapter), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The coalition is working to establish May 2017 as Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Awareness Month here in California ... May 22, 2017 General Cardiology, Diabetes, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
