Maine Medicine Weekly Update - 02/25/2019  (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
•  MMA Pursues Prior Authorization Reform in 129th Maine Legislature
•  HHS Releases Proposed Rule on Drug Rebates
•  Legislation to Address Gun Violence Advances in the House
•  Maine Seeks Federal Waiver to Assist Opioid Response
•  Medical Care a Bit Rough in 1860s Maine
•  HHS Final Rule Seeks to Curb Title X Funding
•  MMA Wants Your Feedback: Physician Wellness Survey
129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
•  MMA Legislative Call Tuesday, February 26th
•  State House Highlights of the Week: A Packed House in HHS for Hearings on Banning Liquid Nicotine, Requiring Vitamin K Injections
UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings
•  MaineGeneral Offering X Waiver Training March 9th in Waterville
•  Identifying Substance Use Early Saves Lives! - SBIRT with Motivational Interviewing Training - 1-day Sessions Offered on March 2 and April 6
•  Maine Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting March 23, 2019
•  NAMI Maine’s Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference - Friday, April 12, 2019
HEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
•  Board Certified Family Physician
•  Internal Medicine Outpatient Physician
•  BC/BE Family Medicine Physician
•  Part-time Physician for Academic Year Contract Position
•  Psychiatric Mental Health NP - Leeds
•  PCHC in need of Pediatrician at Multiple Locations!
•  Outpatient Internal Medicine Physician – Bangor, Maine
•  Outpatient Family Medicine - Brunswick, Maine
•  Opportunities at the VA for Volunteer Physicians
•  Volunteer Opportunity with Partners for World Health

State House Highlights of the Week: A Packed House in HHS for Hearings on Banning Liquid Nicotine, Requiring Vitamin K Injections

Click through for news on the past week's developments in the Legislature and from the Governor's office.

LD 443, relating to Vitamin K injections and antibiotic eye drops for newborn children, brought many mothers with young children to the committee room to oppose the bill. The opposition centered on two issues: first, the "personal liberty" argument that parents should have total control over what is put into their children's bodies, and second, the argument that this is a dangerous substance which can cause terrible harm to newborns. This latter argument was supported by the witnesses' reading of the package insert, including especially the "black box warning", to the Committee. 

The other bill heard the same day which drew much comment was a bill to ban liquid nicotine. Many witnesses testified that only with "vaping" were they able to stop smoking and, over time, reduce their nicotine intake.

HHS also held work sessions on LD 152 to ban the use and possession of "vaping" devices on school grounds. It  was approved unanimously by the Committee. LD 343 (allow food and beverages in tobacco specialty stores) and LD 416 (allow smoking in outdoor sections of restaurants) were defeated on essentially party lines.

On Thursday afternoon HHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew held a meeting with around 40 people on the topic of public health nursing. Many public health nurses, past and present, were in attendance, along with representatives of the major health systems, the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the MMA. It was an excellent, robust discussion, at the end of which the Commissioner impressed those in attendance with her excellent summary of the significant points raised.

Monday afternoon the MMA testified in support of two bills to sustain and expand the school based health centers throughout the state.