One factor commonly overlooked in choosing a surface disinfectant is the overall safety of the product to the environment and to staff members who are exposed to it daily over many years. Stronger, i.e. more toxic, disinfectants are not necessarily…
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is promoting Saturday, April 30th as National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on April 30th, the public will have the opportunity to rid from their homes potentially dangerous expired,…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on April 8th confirming the transmission of Mycobacterium abscessus among 20 pediatric dental patients from contaminated dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). The outbreak was caused by biofilm-contaminated water in…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an informational guide to help individuals understand their rights to access their protected health information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The guide answers one of…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new resources for infection prevention and control in dental settings. Entitled Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care, with a March 2016 publication date,…
On June 1, 2016, OSHA’s revised Federal Hazard Communication (Hazcom) Standard will be in full effect. By this date, all chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers must be in compliance with all modified provisions of the Hazcom Standard. All employers…
In January 2016, new regulations for prescription drug labels took effect in California. While these new mandates target mostly pharmacists, they also apply to a dentist who dispenses medications to a patient for use outside of the office. The new…
Dental personnel ask us all the time if chemical indicators are adequate to assess sterilizer functionality. In short, the answer is no. Generally speaking, sterilizer monitoring should include a combination of mechanical, chemical, and biological monitoring. However, while chemical and…
In response to growing alarm surrounding the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus spreading rapidly in South America, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued two Zika health advisories, as well as posted online resources about the…
On December 3, Cal/OSHA issued a News Release stating that the California agency cited Kaiser Foundation Hospitals $149,000 for exposing workers to injury and infection from used needles in the hospital’s sharps collection containers. At least three employees have been…
