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By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tobacco companies manipulate the amount of menthol in cigarettes to make those first few puffs more palatable to young smokers, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday in a finding that could fuel support for more tobacco regulation. "Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lung and oral pharynx," said Dr. Gregory Connolly of the Harvard School of Public Health. "It makes smoking easier." The study, published in the American Journal of Public ...

June 20, 2008 - Reminder: 72-Hour Emergency Overrides of PA-Required Drugs Federal and state law require that a 72-hour emergency supply of a prescribed drug be provided to Medicaid clients when medication is needed without delay and prior authorization (PA) is not available. The rule applies to non-preferred drugs on the Preferred Drug list and any drug that is affected by a clinical or PA edit that would need prescriber prior approval. The 72-hour emergency supply should be ...

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission offers a series of computer-based training opportunities for pharmacies to educate staff about Medicaid pharmacy benefits (particularly for children under 21) and how to be reimbursed. The state is working with the University of Texas to offer continuing education credit for this online training. Providers can access the training at www.txhealthsteps.com. Information about this training and other pharmacy outreach initiatives is included ...

Children with severe food allergies often carry a device to inject themselves with a dose of epinephrine, in case of a bad allergic reaction. But one dose may not be enough for some patients, especially if they also have asthma, according to a new study from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. The authors analyzed 95 allergic reactions - as a result of accidental exposure to peanuts, in most cases - for which the drug was administered, and found that a second dose was given in ...

The Medicaid/CHIP Vendor Drug Program has updated the list of Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) drugs. The new prices begin June 25, 2008. To learn more, please visit http://www.txvendordrug.com/productenroll.asp

Attached you will find new changes to the EPR III regarding drug doses. These new changes have been incorporated into the full and summary guidelines currently on-line but if you downloaded them previously, your version might not have these changes.

Great resources explaining the transition from CFC to HFA and the need to prime some inhalers

MAY 5: Call For Nominations The National Asthma Educator Certification Board has continued to support asthma education certification for the past five years since the exam was first offered in September 2002. To date we have had over 3,200 educators sit for the exam with more than 2,224 of them passing and receiving the certified asthma educator (AE-C©) credential. As part of the continued success of the Board, the Nominating Committee must ensure that each director position is filled ...

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Perry criticizes tougher EPA air quality standards March 12, 2008 Gov. Rick Perry called the tightened federal air quality standards announced Wednesday an arbitrary "moving target" that stand to especially punish Texas and its economy. Written by Staff, Associated Press Image_5146679 Gov. Rick Perry called the tightened federal air quality standards announced Wednesday an arbitrary "moving target" that stand to especially punish Texas and its economy. Texas has 22 of ...

New Study Indicates Decreasing Prescription Copayments Results in Increased Adherence for Patients with Chronic Diseases Tuesday January 8, 8:53 am ET Study published in Health Affairs highlights large employer's efforts to develop a healthier workforce by removing barriers to treatment PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Removing economic barriers to treatment for chronic conditions encourages patients to remain on recommended therapies according to a ...

Hello [firstname], Welcome to the Asthma Coalition of Texas newsletter of upcoming events, articles, and more from our membership. Save the Date! Please make your plans to join us at the 2008 Asthma Coalition of Texas Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held September 11-13. Location TBD. Keep checking back for more information. New Website: The Texas Asthma Control and Prevention Program has launched a new website! Please take a few ...

February 27, 2008 - Deadline Approaching for Tamper-resistant Prescription Pad Requirement Deadline Approaching for Tamper-resistant Prescription Pad Requirement Beginning April 1, doctors and other health-care providers will be required to use tamper-resistant paper when writing prescriptions for patients with Medicaid coverage. This regulation applies to all written prescriptions submitted for payment through the Vendor Drug Program. The regulation does not apply to ...

At long last, the DSHS Asthma Control and Prevention Program has launched a new website! Please take a few moments to visit the site: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/asthma

An interesting article on School Zone Idling Studies by the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2007/10/15/071015ta_talk_widdicombe

Did your state make the grade on Tobacco Control this year? The American Lung Association has released its annual State of Tobacco Control report grading all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, on their policies to reduce tobacco addiction, diseases and death. Find out if your state has the policies in place to get the job done. The American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2007 report also grades the federal government. This year they only earned Ds and Fs. ...

UPDATE: Tyler Becomes Texas' 18th Smoke-free City By ADRIENNE GRAHAM Staff Writer The city of Tyler will be smoke-free in public facilities and all places of employment beginning June 1. Members of the Tyler City Council unanimously passed a smoking ban ordinance during a special meeting Wednesday morning, making Tyler the 18th city in the state of Texas to go smoke-free.“There is just no safe level of secondhand smoke,” Mayor Joey Seeber said. “The council tried to strike a ...

Mobile asthma bus, kids clinic rolled out By Lauren Grover Tyler Morning Telegraph It is hard for kids to miss school because of asthma when an asthma clinic is parked outside their classroom. Starting next week, students from Winona ISD can schedule appointments with the Breath of Life bus, a mobile asthma clinic designed by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler to treat asthma at school doorsteps all over East Texas. Exams, symptom management, medication and ...

2008 National Asthma Forum: Sharing, Learning, and Taking Action Together Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to build on your past experience! Register today for EPA’s Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments National Forum from May 1 - 2, 2008, in Washington, D.C.! Visit www.epaasthmaforum.com to register and view the complete agenda. Share best practices and learn from successful asthma management programs. This year’s event builds on past years to ...

Take Action During Asthma Awareness Month! May is Asthma Awareness Month. Join the US EPA in the national effort to raise awareness about asthma! This Asthma Awareness Month, host activities to educate people in your community about comprehensive asthma management. Download EPA’s new Asthma Awareness Month Event Planning Kit featuring new ideas for outreach and awareness activities, tips for working with the media, success stories, and much more! Once you have planned your activities, ...