Antonio Ciaccia, Director of Government & Public Affairs & Michelle Fitzgibbon, Lobbyist OPA is currently pursuing legislation utilizing pharmacists to expand access of prescription drug administrators in Ohio. This summer, after months of discussions with interested parties and Ohio House of Representatives member Rep. Sarah LaTourette’s (R-Bainbridge Township), HB 421 was successfully voted out of the House and has moved to the Senate. Because there are only two months left before the end of the 131st General Assembly, OPA is working hard to ensure that Rep. LaTourette’s language passes. In late September, OPA worked with Senator Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) on drafting an amendment to take the language from HB 421 and replicate it in SB 332, a comprehensive infant mortality reform bill currently being championed by Senator Shannon Jones (R-Springboro) and Senator Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus). OPA Director of Government & Public Affairs Antonio Ciaccia gave testimony in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee in support of Senator Manning’s amendment and SB 332.
We’re pleased to report that we were successful in integrating Senator Manning’s amendment into SB 332, the bill was voted out of committee, and on September 28, SB 332 was voted out of the Senate and moves back to the House. Thank you, OPA members, for your calls and emails to back-up our efforts to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice to better serve Ohioans. As of now, we have two bills – HB 421 and SB 332 – that allow pharmacists (under a physician protocol) to administer by injection any of the following drugs, if the patient has a valid prescription for the drug: The bills also permit a pharmacist to administer epinephrine or diphenhydramine, or both, to an individual in an emergency resulting from any adverse reaction to a drug administration. So what needs to happen next? As mentioned earlier, HB 421 has already passed the House, and it now sits in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. And SB 332 has passed the Senate, and will now work its way over to the House.
OPA is currently advocating for both bills. So please call your state representative, and ask for their support for SB 332, and call your state senator to ask for their support of HB 421. Visit the OPA Advocacy Action Center for complete details and to send a message to your elected officials: https://votervoice.net/OPA/campaigns. With passage of HB 523, Ohio’s medical marijuana law, the state is creating a regulatory structure so that the drug will be ready for distribution in 2018 to patients legally allowed to obtain it. While OPA opposed the law, we are working to ensure that medical marijuana is as legitimate, appropriate, and safe as possible for Ohioans. OPA has launched a special Medical Marijuana Task Force to make suggestions to improve the law, offer perspective on the regulatory process, and work to properly educate pharmacists and patients about the drug. The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, the Ohio State Medical Board, and the Department of Commerce are responsible for drafting the regulations to implement the law in consultation with the newly created Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee.
We are pleased to announce that the two pharmacist positions on the committee were filled by OPA members, Curtis Passafume and Stephanie Abel. Governor Kasich named Passafume as chair of the committee. Stephanie Abel, R.Ph., PharmD, BCPS is Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for the Ohio State University James Cancer Center. Curt Passafume, R.Ph., MBA is the System Vice President for OhioHealth Pharmacy Services and also a member of the Board of Pharmacy. For more information about the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, visit http://www.medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/. Please consider financial support of our legislative efforts by contributing to the OPA Pharmacy PAC. One hundred percent of Pharmacy PAC money goes to help candidates who support pharmacy in Ohio. Visit http://bit.ly/OPA_PAC to make a donation!Mignonne C. Mary, MD Dr. Mignonne Mary is the founder of the Remedy Room and primary physician. She graduated from LSU Medical School in New Orleans completing her residency in Internal Medicine at Charity Hospital, and spent 15 years in private practice.
Her passion for the benefits of infusion therapy began with her father, Dr. Charles C. Mary, Jr. who founded the prestigious Mary Medical Clinic. He is a pioneer in infusion therapy and complementary medicine. His successful approach to wellness and recovery inspired Dr. Mary to provide infusion therapies to prevent illness and energize healthy, sustainable lifestyles for her patients. What is Intravenous Therapy? Intravenous Therapy is the infusion of fluids directly into the bloodstream using a minimally invasive procedure. By using IV hydration, 100% of the administered dose of nutrients, vitamins and fluids is absorbed immediately and provides fast relief from a number of ailments. Board-certified physicians, registered nurses and experienced medical staff, administer all treatments. Beyond a mild initial sting, the procedure is completely painless. The sensation is similar to having a simple blood test. Enjoy a relaxing, spa-like environment Treatments last about an hour
The Remedy Room | We know the fastest way to replenish fluids and vitamins is through infusion therapy. 100% of the given dose of fluids and vitamins is absorbed instantly producing rapid results, whereas the absorption with oral intake can be as low as 50-60% with limited benefits. We offer multiple hydrating therapies to give you lasting energy and detoxify your body. Our clients report feeling replenished, re-hydrated, and revived so they can get back work, play and life. Having trouble logging in? Sign up for a free account Get unlimited access on Medscape. It’s well established that Vitamin D is important in the regulation of the body’s calcium levels and bone development. If people don’t get enough, they are at risk of diseases like rickets and osteoporosis. But researchers have more recently discovered that vitamin D receptors are found on almost all tissues of the body. This has caused a “boom” in vitamin D research; scientists are investigating its role in everything from heart disease and diabetes to depression, cancer and the common cold.
You get Vitamin D in two ways: by consuming it in foods or supplements, and by making it in your skin when sunlight hits it. Vitamin D doesn’t occur naturally in a lot of foods – unless you’re a really big fan of cod liver oil or mackerel, you wouldn’t get nearly enough – so many foods are fortified with it. Almost all of the milk sold in the U.S. is fortified with Vitamin D, as are many cereals, juices and yogurts. This time of year in Columbus ain’t exactly the most Vitamin D friendly environment – the sun seems to head south for the winter – so it’s not unusual for people around here to have a low Vitamin D level. But what does that really mean? How low is too low? And does having a low Vitamin D level increase your risk for depression, high blood pressure, the flu? We don’t know for sure. There’s even a lot of debate going on right now about whether or not the current cut off for a “normal” Vitamin D level is too high and that a lot of people are being told they have a deficiency when they really don’t.