AN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 2004--The California Medical Association recently adopted a roster of policies developed by physicians at the San Francisco Medical Society. Information and interviews are available by medical experts on these issues. The new policies include:
Ratings for Films with Tobacco Use: Calls on CMA to encourage the motion picture industry to apply an R rating to all new films depicting cigarette smoking and other tobacco use.
“Mad Cow” Disease (BSE): Urges study and appropriate action, including increased testing, of animals consumed by humans for prion diseases, including BSE.
Late-Term Abortion: Calls on CMA to take a strong public stand against legislation banning late-term abortion and continue to educate the public and Congress about the strong need to protect the physician-patient relationship.
Herbal Products and Drug Interactions: Calls for labels on herbal and nutritional products to prominently list any known adverse interactions with prescription and nonprescription medications and warn that unknown interactions may occur.
Fingernails and Infection Control: CMA shall support a statewide infection control policy that prohibits artificial fingernails or natural fingernails over a certain length for health care workers.
Tax Credits for Healthcare Costs: States that health care expenditures should be a tax-credited expense.
Elder Abuse Allegations: Urges that education of legislators and appropriate legislation be pursued to address the problem of improper charges of elder abuse in long-term care settings.
Medical Records Privacy: Urges that the consent requirements for release of records that have been lost in recent years due to “reform” be restored.
Pharmaceuticals from Canada: Urges that the FDA develop special quality and safety guidelines for drugs imported from Canada.
Asthma Inhalers in School: CMA shall support legislative efforts to authorize the possession and self-administration of inhaled asthma medications in all public schools by children with asthma.
Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Emissions: Urges the California Air Resources Board to expeditiously and without delay adopt and implement the strongest possible regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emission levels from motor vehicles.
Universal Immunizations: CMA supports an adequately funded universal immunization program for all children in the United States. The resolution also emphasized that insurers should be required to cover all childhood immunizations.
For more information, contact Steve Heilig, Public Education Director at the San Francisco Medical Society, 415-561-0850, ext. 270. The San Francisco Medical Society (SFMS) is a non-profit organization consisting of over 1,500 physicians, residents, medical students and eleven staff members that advocate for the interest of San Francisco physicians and their patients. SFMS members and staff are deeply involved in the community on behalf of organized medicine. They work on local policy issues, bring local problems to the state level, mediate between physicians, patients and insurers, and educate physicians, patients and the public about important health care issues.
Contacts
San Francisco Medical Society Steve Heilig, 415-561-0850 ext. 270 heilig@sfms.org