Written by kate@dcmsdocs.org on . Posted in Uncategorised
15-Month Prescriptions Win Approval in Springfield
By unanimous votes in both houses, the Illinois General Assembly approved and forwarded to Gov. Rauner, legislation to extend the time a patient can refill a prescription for a non-controlled substance from 12 months to 15 months.
Originating with a proposal from our DuPage County Medical Society, the measure is intended to address the gap that can occur when patients who see their physician annually face the expiration of prescriptions for maintenance medications prior to their next yearly appointment. The change can assure availability of prescription drugs during the interval without extra calls to the office.
The DCMS resolution was adopted as ISMS policy in 2017 and led to the push for the bill in this Spring’s just-completed legislative session.
On May 31, 2018, The House voted 72-38. The Senate followed with a concurrence 44-3. The plan would allow individuals who qualify for opioid prescriptions to apply for the state's medical cannabis program.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy is the sponsor of the proposal in the House. The Chicago Democrat says it's a less-addictive alternative to treating pain and could be a remedy to the growing number of opioid overdoses across the state.
It will give patients short-term access to medical marijuana and allow them to bypass some bureaucracy including fingerprint scans and background checks.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has fought previous efforts to expand medical marijuana access.
Written by kate@dcmsdocs.org on . Posted in Uncategorised
On March 2, 2018, Doctors Hythem Shadid and Lanny Wilson of the DCMS Governmental Affairs Committee, met with Congressman Peter J. Roskam (R - IL 6) in his West Chicago office. Roskam has represented Illinois’ 6th Congressional District since 2007, and currently chairs the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Care.
Asked about the status of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Roskam said, “We can’t stay in the 2017 debate or the 2010 debate. Let’s pose a different question. What are the things we can do together?” In a recent address before an assembly of the American Medical Association, he addressed the current state of health care – where one person’s onerous regulation is another’s patient protection.
Cong. Roskam has family members in the medical profession and reported that during a recent family gathering, a physician relative was sealed away in her room finishing-up charting from patient care earlier in the day. He sees first-hand the problems our profession faces – longer hours and less pay, burdensome regulations, and more – and says he wants to help. He feels that, as chair of the Health Care Subcommittee, he can make a difference.
Another issue discussed was the opioid crisis confronting the nation. Roskam feels that the new U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, is leading the way. In DuPage County, the Heroin Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Taskforce has been developed to help solve the problem locally and Roskam offered to assist.
Cong. Roskam indicated that legislation to prevent school shootings might include new ways for family members and law enforcement to work together, allowing courts to temporarily keep guns away from people who show warning signs of potential gun violence. “Bump stocks”, which can make semiautomatic weapons even more deadly, Roskam believes have no legal reason to exist in our country.