Note From The Commissioner:
Dear Partner,
Last week, I
wrote a piece for The
Daily Record
arguing that access to affordable prescription drugs is a human right. In the
ER, I have seen time and time again what happens when people don’t take their
medications because they simply can’t afford them. In Baltimore, I experience
this limitation every day as we ration the life-saving opioid antidote,
naloxone. This should never happen: nobody should be priced out of their
ability to live.
The Maryland
General Assembly is considering two bills that will help rein in the escalating
cost of prescription drugs. The first would prohibit the so-called “gag rule,”
by which pharmacists are often barred from telling their patients about cheaper
ways to pay for their prescription drugs (i.e., out-of-pocket, rather than
through insurance co-pays, or by purchasing a generic version of the
medication). The second bill would establish a Drug Cost Commission to assess
why drugs are priced the way they are. These bills are a step in the right
direction in making prescription drugs affordable.
In addition to
working with our representatives in Annapolis, we are also raising awareness
about chronic health issues in our communities. On Wednesday, I joined Mayor
Pugh for a Heart Health Month celebration at the Waxter Center, and discussed
ways we can take care of ourselves and mind our heart health. High blood
pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking are the leading causes of
heart disease, which kills nearly 2,000 Baltimoreans every year. Among those
causes, smoking is the biggest preventable contributor – people who quit smoking reduce their risk of heart disease by
half after just one year. (I learned something myself too: our seniors taught me how to dance the electric slide.)
It’s never too
early or too late to start pursuing healthier lifestyles. I am proud to serve
as the Baltimore City Health Commissioner under a Mayor who is committed to
advancing the health and well-being of our residents. Join Mayor Pugh and our Billion
Step Challenge! Since launching
the program last summer, Baltimoreans have logged more than 306 million steps—we
need you to help us to keep Baltimore heart healthy!
Leana Wen, M.D.,
M.Sc.
The
Daily Record: Dr. Wen and Hank
Greenberg Pen Op-Ed About Prescription Drug Affordability
Dr. Wen and
Hank Greenberg, AARP Maryland State Director, co-authored an op-ed in the The Daily Record arguing that
prescription drug affordability should be a basic human right. The article
highlighted two bills being considered by the Maryland General Assembly that
will help address the rising cost of prescription drugs – one bill would
prohibit the pharmacist “gag rule,” while the other would establish a Drug Cost
Commission.
“We are leaders
who, respectively, safeguard the health of 620,000 residents in Baltimore and
represent the interests of the 50-plus community and their families across
Maryland,” wrote Dr. Wen and Director Greenberg. “We believe that health is a
basic human right, and that access to affordable prescription drugs must be
part of that fundamental right to well-being.”
Read the full
article here.
Dr. Wen Joins Mayor Pugh for “Get On Your Good
Foot” Dance For Your Heart Event
On Wednesday,
Dr. Wen joined Mayor Pugh for the Health Department’s “Get on Your Good Foot”
Dance for Your Heart Event at the Waxter Center for Senior Citizens. She
discussed how older residents can protect themselves against heart disease,
encouraged attendees to get involved in the Billion Step Challenge, and joined
them on the dance floor to highlight the importance of maintaining an active
lifestyle.
“Remember to
take care of yourselves and your health, because everyone in the city depends
on you,” said Dr. Wen.
To learn more
about the Billion Step Challenge, click here.
Billion Step Challenge: Game On! Fitness Boot
Camp
Get moving and
join Donte “DaCoach” Samuel on Saturday, February 24 at 8 a.m. for a morning of
family-focused fitness. The event will be held at Belmont Elementary School,
located at 1406 N. Ellamont Street in Northwest Baltimore.
To register for
the Billion Step Challenge, click here.
Program Manager for
ReCast Named to Bunting Neighborhood Leadership Program
Larry C. Simmons,
program manager of the Health Department’s ReCast Baltimore initiative (standing,
middle), was named one of seven emerging Baltimore City leaders and appointed
to the Bunting Neighborhood Leadership Program. This year’s cohort consists of
activists, artists, advocates, community organizers, and entrepreneurs, all of
whom are being recognized for their dedication to improving the health and
well-being of Baltimore City residents.
Learn more
about our ReCast program by reading our White Paper on the State of Health in Baltimore
City.
Health Department Closed on President’s Day 2018
The Baltimore City Health Department will be closed on
Monday, February 19, 2018 in observance of the President’s Day holiday.
Legislative Update
This week, the Baltimore
City Council moved a bill on sugar sweetened beverages from committee up to the
full council for a final vote on February 26. If passed, the legislation would
require restaurants with kid’s menus offer milk, 100% juice, or water as the
default beverage options for those meals. The bill passed out of committee by a
7-0 vote, and is modeled off of similarly enacted legislation in California.
Testimony in Annapolis
On
Thursday, Tobacco Control and Cessation Manager Casey Thomasson testified in
front of the Senate Finance Committee in Annapolis in favor of legislation that
would raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21. If enacted, the
bill would also include electronic smoking devices among the tobacco products
people would be prohibited from purchasing until they reach 21.
Also
on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Staff Jeff Amoros testified in front of the Senate
Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee to support a bill that
would create a mid-level dental provider. The legislation, similar to licensing
regimes enacted in Minnesota and Vermont, creates “advanced practice dental
hygiene,” a move that would help address Baltimore’s – and Maryland’s –
shortage of dental providers.
BCHD in the News
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