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…
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…
In a September 16 News Release, the US Department of Justice reported citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to a Massachusetts dental office for failure to implement effective occupational safety programs to protect employees. Reasons for…
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published a blog article last week that effectively describes the difference between respiratory protection and source control for…
Under the Ready Campaign, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has designated the month of September as National Preparedness Month. Nobody expects an emergency or a disaster to happen. Yet, emergencies and disasters can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere. National…
On August 7, 2020, the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)[1] released a Patient Safety Primer[2] on safety in dental settings with respect to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The outbreak of COVID-19 has effectively shut down approximately 198,000 active…
Last week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response. The updates consists of the following recent revisions: The Guidance was rearranged for clarity…
In May, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published an interim memorandum on the requirements for recording occupational illnesses, specifically cases of COVID-19. The memorandum is expected to remain in effect until the current COVID-19 public health crisis…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) constantly updates its online coronavirus information and resources both for the general public and the healthcare industry. The FDA has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for consumers which addresses such…
As dental offices begin to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers must ensure that dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) are well trained on new practice procedures implemented in the office to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 among staff and patients. Interim…
