FDA Extends E-cigarette Regulation Comment Period
In April the FDA released proposed regulations for electronic cigarettes and asked for your input. Last week it extended the comment period by 30 days. The proposed rule focuses on FDA's regulatory approach to electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products, proposed options for the regulation of cigars, pathways to market for proposed deemed tobacco products, and compliance dates for certain [...]
Interactive Map of Arizona Licensed Facilities
Navigating the vast number, type, and location of licensed facilities just got easier. Our GIS team developed a terrific interactive website that can help you find information about a specific facility or facility type in the State. The ADHS Licensed Facilities application features Long Term Care Facilities, Hospitals, group homes for folks with developmental disabilities, Residential, Medical, Childcare, and even Pharmacies. A simple zoom [...]
Reducing the Painkiller Body-Count
Across the country prescription painkillers take out way more people than heroin and cocaine combined... and the story is the same in Arizona. Last year more than one person died almost every day in our state from prescription opioids... and more people died from painkiller overdoses than car crashes. In January, I blogged about how we've joined the Association of State and Territorial Health [...]
Training Improves Outcomes
Improving health outcomes at licensed healthcare facilities in Arizona requires 2 main ingredients. Having regulations and encourage continuous quality improvement (which is now complete) and providing our licensed facilities with the information they need to implement practices (in accordance with the regulations) to execute positive change. Now that we’ve finished developing the new regulations, it’s time to build the knowledge [...]
Teens & Tobacco: An AZ Success story
You’ve read on my blog before about Arizona’s statewide youth coalition Students Taking a New Direction, better known as STAND. The group just wrapped up its 5th annual youth conference to congratulate members on a great year and recognize the best of the organization. This year, Mohave County's Kingman Youth Coalition “Beating Up Teen Tobacco” won coalition of the year [...]
New Respiratory Viral Panel
Throughout the year, we talk a lot about flu, but there are several other respiratory viruses like parainfluenza, RSV, adenoviruses, and coronaviruses that can also cause respiratory infections. Our State Laboratory has been able to detect most of these viruses through a battery of test methods, but now we have a way to consolidate testing for respiratory pathogens. Our State Laboratory’s [...]