On December 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule are being submitted to the Office of the Federal Register for review and…
With the end of the year drawing near, as we prepare to usher in 2021, December is a good time to review and evaluate office safety policies and procedures to ensure compliance and their effectiveness. Using a safety assessment checklist…
On October 28, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall notice that Sunstar Americas, Inc. (SAI) is voluntarily recalling Paroex® Chlorhexidine Gluconate Oral Rinse USP, 0.12% products bearing an expiration date from 6/30/22 – 9/30/22 because it…
According to a News Release by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dated October 21, 2020, the EPA has now approved more than 500 surface disinfectant products with proven efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019…
The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) released its fourth Waiver Notice, dated October 22, to extend the continuing education (CE) requirements for California dental licensees whose active licenses expire between March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2020. According to…
You can never be too careful. Earlier this month, I received an email to my business account from a client asking me to open a link to a pdf document. It seemed suspicious, and since I advise clients not to…
The US Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA's) semiannual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 24th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event is DEA’s 19th nationwide Take Back Day since its inception 10 years ago…
New Prescription Form Requirements Beginning January 1, 2021, prescribers of controlled substances must use updated prescription forms, which include a 12-character serial number and corresponding barcode required by Assembly Bill 149 of 2019. This information will also be linked to…
The flu season is almost upon us. While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the US, they are most active during the fall and winter. Flu activity often begins to increase in October, peaking between December and February…
According to the ADA News, Athens Orthopedic Clinic in Georgia recently settled with the US Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The settlement consisted…
