The National Safety Council (NSC) released an “Opioids at Work Employer Toolkit” that employers can use to address workplace impacts of the ongoing opioid crisis. The NSC encouraged employers to implement robust drug-free workplace policies and called on employers to equip their workplaces with first-aid kits containing naloxone (an overdose reversal drug), provide supervisor education around opioid misuse, and offer access to treatment in their employee assistance programs (EAPs). “Two-thirds of American adults with […]
Read MoreArchive for October, 2019
Can Diabetic Employees Discard Insulin Needles in the Trash?
They are sharps, after all, so isn’t an extra layer of safety in disposal necessary? As experts at Safety.BLR.com® pointed out in an Ask the Expert question, the trash isn’t technically the proper disposal method—but by the same token, OSHA rules do not mandate that employers address syringes for personal use, which insulin injections would fall under. The proper disposal method is to place the used needle in a special sharps container for disposal […]
Read More5 Unexpected Ways You’re Violating HIPAA Law
In today’s tech-dominated world, as more digital devices permeate the practice of medicine, they simultaneously create more opportunities for HIPAA law violations. Telling somebody too much about a patient, walking away from an unlocked computer, or even trying to catch up on a backlog of EHRs on the weekend could all put you on the wrong side of the law. Watch out for these 5 actions that could leave you or your employer facing some […]
Read MoreBCCA Unveils New Tool to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse
BCCA’s incinerator will be used to destroy prescription drugs collected from nine permanent drug drop boxes across Baldwin County, AL. On average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, including prescription and illicit drugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alabama’s Baldwin County Community Alliance (BCCA) has unveiled its newest tool to fight prescription drug abuse—an incinerator, which will be used to properly destroy prescription drugs collected from […]
Read MoreHIPAA Compliance Checklist
Any organization that has access to electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) must comply with HIPAA. If your organization needs to be compliant, this isn’t something you can delay or phase in gradually because failure to meet HIPAA compliance can carry steep penalties. (On the positive side, becoming HIPAA compliant can be a tremendous business driver if you’re interested in starting a company, entering a new market, attracting new customers, or reducing the time it takes […]
Read MoreHHS Gives Dental Practice Posting PHI on Yelp a Bad Review
A dental practice in Texas that responded to patients’ Yelp reviews by disclosing patient names and other health information has gotten a bad review from federal regulators: A $10,000 HIPAA monetary settlement and a corrective action plan. In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services said the settlement with Elite Dental Associates of Dallas centered on a patient complaint received in 2016 by HHS’ Office of Civil Rights, which enforces HIPAA. […]
Read MoreHIPAA: At what cost?
Amazon.com, on Prime Day this year, announced that customers would be given a $10 credit if they agreed to let Amazon track their browsing data and use these data in the marketing of services or products that may be completely unrelated to those purchased from Amazon. An astonishing 7 million people agreed to the price and handed over their browsing privacy. The logic is simple: privacy has both a value to consumers and businesses. What […]
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