Image by HalfpointOPINION – Patients rely on the quality care services provided by pharmacists and pharmacies. On behalf of pharmacies and the patients for whom we provide care, I urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 966, by Senator Scott Wiener, District 11, encompassing San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County.
Image by Jae Young JuOPINION – As the panic over the “fentanyl crisis” mounts, we risk returning to outdated, ineffective strategies. Instead of performative policies that seek to punish, we need evidence-based, community-focused solutions that seek to help and rehabilitate.
Graphic representation of Mental Health Disorder. Image via ShutterstockCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’re joined today by Dr. Janet Coffman of Healthforce Center at UCSF, and Michelle Doty Cabrera, Executive Director of CBHDA. They describe the serious challenges facing the state’s mental health and substance abuse programs, and what is needed to grow and retain a behavioral health workforce that reflects California’s diverse populations.
A doctor and her patient have a consultation over medical care. (Photo: Andrei_R, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As health care delivery evolves thanks to advances in data sharing and technology, it’s important that health systems harness the availability of these new tools to improve transparency, information dissemination and communications between doctor and patient, allowing them to better work together to make vital health decisions.
A photo illustration of a young woman in mental anguish. (Image: Photographee.eu, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The California legislature is considering legislative action that would streamline the approval process for people accessing care through Medi-Cal to receive their prescribed medications for serious mental illness without undue delays As a physician who has served our community for more than 25 years, I strongly support this effort.
The pharmaceutical section of a Costco store in Folsom, Calif. (Photo: Cassiohabib, via Shutterstock)OPINION: When the COVID-19 pandemic again reinforced that California’s communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of public health threats, some California lawmakers made promises about closing gaps in health equity and access. More than two years later, however, many Californians inhabited by its most diverse populations are still struggling to access and afford their health care.
Photo illustration of money and medical care. (Image: ShutterstockProfessional, via Shutterstock)OPINION: If passed, SB 958 would severely limit specialty pharmacies’ ability to deliver lower cost medications to patients, while also making it even easier for hospitals to markup the cost they charge patients for critical medications, and in the end, we would see higher health care premiums for California’s employers and individuals.
Photo illustration of a man who has overdosed on a combination of drugs.(Photo: Victor Moussa, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The man experiencing homelessness was nodding off when a street medicine provider from Venice Family Clinic recognized the signs of an opioid overdose. The provider gave the man a dose of naloxone (Narcan®) and prevented another potential overdose death on the streets of Los Angeles.
A doctor writes out a drug prescription for a patient. (Photo: Lisa-S, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Step therapy forces patients to try insurer-preferred medications before approving the medication initially prescribed by the doctor. Utilized by both public and private insurers, step therapy undermines the clinical judgment of doctors and puts patients’ health at risk.
A pharmacist puts medications on the shelves of his store. (Photo: viewfinder, via Shutterstock)OPINION: We’ve seen the stories of Pharma Bro, we’ve read about Big Pharma’s Q1 profit margins. What drug companies are trying to keep secret though, is Pay-for-Delay, a sneaky tactic that brand name and generic drug companies are using – and getting away with — that costs Americans $3.5 billion per year in higher health care costs.