Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, and combatting it requires a multi-faceted approach. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dentists prescribe around 10% of overall outpatient antibiotic prescriptions nationally. Up to 85% of…
Under the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA’s) Security Rule, covered entities, including most dental offices, are required to adopt adequate means for safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI. This includes conducting a security risk analysis…
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a Consumer Update for the general public on how to use hand sanitizers safely and effectively. Hand sanitizers are regulated as over-the-counter drugs by the FDA. Besides use by the general…
The US Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA's) semiannual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 22nd, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The aim is to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription…
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends and the Dental Board of California (DBC) requires standard precautions to be used for the care of all patients regardless of their diagnoses or personal infectious status. Standard precautions in…
California law requires all employers of 5 or more employees to provide training to its supervisory and nonsupervisory employees on sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention. The training must include practical examples of harassment based on gender identity, gender expression,…
Beginning April 3, 2023, patients and non-clinical staff will no longer be required to wear face coverings for COVID-19 protection in California healthcare settings. On February 28, 2023, Governor Newsom issued a proclamation terminating the California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency. Four days…
According to a new publication Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections through Hand Hygiene: 2022 Update in the February 2023 issue of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, five medical organizations have published updated recommendations for healthcare personnel to protect patients and…
Effective pain management is a priority in dental treatment. However, while most people take prescription medications responsibly, an estimated 9 million Americans were current misusers of prescription opioids in 2020. The good news for dentists is that more and more…
On December 15, 2022, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to adopt the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations, to replace the May 2022 version of the emergency temporary standard. The regulation is expected to be approved by the…
