They Said It...

Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania (PSR PA) is a non-profit organization through which a variety of health professionals in the state address “the greatest threats to public health” and advance the greatest public health opportunities of our century. Its mission is to “promote socially and environmentally responsible practices, policies and programs to safeguard and improve public health” with particular concentration on climate change and environmental health issues along with efforts to prevent violence and ban nuclear weapon proliferation. Our Summer 2022 issue of Philadelphia Medicine highlights this important local organization—you can read our feature here.

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine has extended the deadline to renew a DO license from October 31 to November 30. This extension applies only for 2022.

DO license cycles normally begin November 1 of an even year through October 31 of the next even year. The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine regulations state that to renew a license, a physician will need: 100 total credit hours of CME in the two-year license cycle in various topics.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society has a FAQ on renewing your medical license, available here. To renew your license, please visit either the PA Department of State’s Licensing Services page or the Pennsylvania Licensing System page.

The Childhood Lead Poisoning Surveillance Report shows that the number of children with elevated lead levels in Philadelphia is improving but remains too high. PDPH recommends universal blood lead testing for all children.

In 2021, over 80% of Philadelphia three-year-olds were tested at least once for lead. If an elevated lead level is determined via a capillary sample, it should be confirmed with a venous sample according to the schedule outlined by the CDC. For venous blood lead levels > 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), healthcare providers should follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control for management and next steps.

All elevated blood lead levels are automatically reported to the PDPH Environmental Health Services – Lead and Healthy Homes Program (EHS-LHHP). Physicians can consult with the PDPH Lead and Healthy Homes full-time nurse for assistance and/or any questions by calling (215) 685-2788.

The PASTEUR (Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Upsurging Resistance) Act was introduced in the US Senate last year and will be voted upon by Congress hopefully by year end. The Act will provide financial incentives for antibiotic research.

Before COVID-19, an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide were directly caused by Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and AMR played a part in nearly 5 million deaths. It is also clear that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated AMR. In 2020, the U.S. experienced a 15% increase in AMR infections and deaths due to COVID-19, and experts do not expect a return to pre-pandemic levels without concerted action. 

More than 2,200 Temple University Hospital (TUH) union employees, which include nurses, technical specialists and other health care professionals, authorized a strike last week. For now they remain on the job without a contract, which is pending further negotiations. The union representing the frontline workers is concerned about safe staffing, staff retention, workplace violence and resources. Temple University Hospital is continuing discussion with Temple Allied Professionals (TAP) and the Temple University Hospital Nurses Association (TUHNA).

Hospital officials stated that TUH offered wage increases that would make their nurses the highest paid of the region’s academic medical centers, and additionally offered to make their allied professionals the highest paid in many of the region’s academic medical centers. Processes are in place to continue services and health care at TUH facilities in the event of a strike. Stay tuned for additional updates.

Recent data from Prevention Point Philadelphia could indicate an increase in illicit drug use in the city. The organization reports that they served roughly 36,000 people between June 2021 and June 2022, three times more than in 2019. Additionally, through its syringe exchange program, Prevention Point collected more used syringes (10 million) than they distributed clean ones during the same time period (8.8 million). Factors include cheaper prices, greater exposure to opioids, and a national increase in drug usage during the pandemic. 

Prevention Point is now in its 30th year of service. The organization offers over 20 harm reduction-based services to communities affected by drug use and poverty.

PAMED House of Delegates

Date: October 21-22

The Pennsylvania Medical Society's House of Delegates will be taking place this weekend. The HOD’s purpose is to democratically hear the diverse voices of the membership and, after deliberation and consideration, establish broad policy on health, medical, and governance matters.

Buprenorphine Induction Beyond the Basics: Micro-induction and how to prevent precipitated withdrawal in the age of synthetic fentanyl analogs

Date: Wednesday, October 26

Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

One of the major barriers to buprenorphine maintenance is the fear of precipitated withdrawal during induction. As the drug supply has changed, new approaches to buprenorphine induction are needed. This training will review practices of buprenorphine induction and preventing precipitated withdrawal. 

Register and Learn More Here