News/Information

Governor Bill Walker has declared a public health crisis for the State of Alaska to combat what has been deemed an opioid epidemic. The disaster declaration establishes a statewide Overdose Response Program under Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer and also began a movement to “Turn the Tide”, the Surgeon General’s call to end the opioid crisis.

Here is a link to the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services for more information. http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Director/Pages/heroin-opioids/default.aspx

As part of the movement to address the opioid misuse epidemic in Alaska there have been multiple requirements implemented by legislation for Prescribers and Pharmacists when it comes to writing and filling all controlled substances.

In an effort to do our part and also to meet the requirements that we are held to Hillside Family Medicine (HFM) has decided to create a controlled medication policy. This policy will be effective January 1, 2018 and will be enforced.

• HFM will not prescribe chronic pain medications.
• HFM will not refill any narcotic prescriptions requests without an Office Visit.
• HFM requires that all benzodiazepine class medication requests are to be processed by the patient’s main provider.
• HFM providers will clearly document the reason, plan and expectations of the patient when prescribing any refillable controlled prescriptions.

Please be aware of this new policy and have patience as we are all adapting to the changes.

Check out the "3 Tips for Prioritizing Your Health in 2018" article on Anchorage County NearSay!

~Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness & Health e-Zine

The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine other heart health groups now agree that you have high blood pressure if your blood pressure is above 130/80, not 140/90 as the previous guidelines recommended (American Heart Association's annual meeting, November 13, 2017). This means that 46 percent of North American adults now have high blood pressure which means that they are at increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and premature death. The new guidelines will triple the number of men under 45 years of age with high blood pressure, and double the number of women under 45 with high blood pressure. Another 40 percent of the population will develop high blood pressure as they grow older.

The blockbuster SPRINT study of almost 10,000 people showed that blood pressures above 130 increase risk for death (N Engl J Med, Nov 26, 2015;373:2103-2116). High blood pressure causes heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease and puts you at increased risk for developing dementia in later life. High blood pressure is intimately associated with high blood sugar levels after meals, and high blood pressure is one of the criteria for diagnosing diabetes.

Check out the "Anchorage Doctors Explain the Importance of Vaccines" article on Anchorage County NearSay!