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In this update:
Governor Paul LePage signed into law “An Act
to Prevent Opiate Abuse by Strengthening the Controlled Substances Prescription
Monitoring Program” (now PL 2015, c. 488) on April 19, making Maine the second
state to pass legislation on the issue this year.
Beginning January 1, 2017, providers will not be allowed to
prescribe more than a seven-day supply of opioids within a seven-day period for
acute pain or a 30-day supply within a 30-day period for chronic pain.
Maine’s 100 morphine milligram equivalent (MME) cap for new
patients is slightly higher than the 90 MME called for under U.S. Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and lower than the 120 MME cap enacted by
Massachusetts and Washington. Patients currently receiving opioid pain
medication have a higher, 300 MME cap until July 2017 to ease their transition
to a lower dose.
For more information, see the press release at http://go.usa.gov/cuDHj
U.S. CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) have issued new guidance and information for protecting
workers from occupational exposure to Zika virus.
Zika virus is primarily spread through the bites of infected
mosquitoes. The types of mosquitoes that can transmit Zika virus are not
found in Maine.
There is no vaccine to prevent Zika virus infection and there is
no specific treatment for people who become infected. Although Zika virus is
primarily spread by infected mosquitoes, exposure to an infected person’s blood
or other body fluids may also result in transmission.
Only one in five people infected with Zika show symptoms which
include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Illness is usually mild with
symptoms lasting from several days to a week.
For more information:
As part of its public health workforce development efforts,
Maine CDC and partner organizations have created a website for online public
health training. If you want to learn more about public health, you can
access one of the current training modules at: www.maine.gov/pht.
Current topics include an Orientation to Public Health in Maine,
Lyme Disease, Bedbugs, Drinking Water, Food, Hoarding and Nuisance Control.
Look for new online training modules and other training opportunities in
future Public Health Updates or go to www.maine.gov/pht and scroll to the bottom of
the page to sign up for the mailing list.
We have recently added downloadable documents in the “News &
Views” section of this site. We encourage you to print the downloadable flyer
and double-sided card to share with your colleagues and others who may have an
interest in public health.
Maine
CDC is sponsoring and the Hanley Center is hosting health equity and culture competence workshops in Ellsworth and
Augusta in May.
Positive health outcomes are not evenly distributed across the
public. Some populations face much greater challenges in achieving and
maintaining good health. Public health leaders can play a crucial role in
understanding the reasons for these differences and leading strategies to
promote greater health equity. The workshop will explore the concepts of health
and health care disparities, build greater insight into unconscious/implicit
bias and delve into models for developing individual and organizational cultural
competence.
Below are links to the EventBrite pages with additional
information and tickets:
Ellsworth Training – May 16
Augusta Training – May 17
Additional questions can be sent to jaclynbuck@hanleyleadership.org.
Maine Public Health Association (MPHA) will hold its annual
conference October 18 at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. Abstracts
from all areas of public health are now being accepted for breakout sessions
during the conference. MPHA encourages abstracts focusing on the conference
theme of population, environment and policy.
All abstract and poster forms must be submitted using the 2016 MPHA abstract application form no
later than June 10.
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