The
House Energy and Commerce Committee last week approved the
“Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act”
(H.R.
1256), which would grant the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products, in a 39-13 vote.
The bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (FFDCA) to grant the FDA the authority to restrict tobacco
marketing and sales to youth; require detailed disclosure
of ingredients; allow FDA to require changes to tobacco products;
and require larger, more specific health warnings. The FDA
activity would be funded by a user fee on cigarette manufacturers,
allocated by market share. The House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee will hold a markup of the bill later this
month, and a full House vote is expected the week of March
30. The ACC supports the bill and will work with lawmakers
to encourage its passage.
REGULATORY
Save
the Date: CMS, ACC to Hold CV-Focused PQRI Forum
It
is not too late to participate in the Physician Quality Reporting
Initiative (PQRI) for 2009! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC)
on March 18 will hold a special Open Door Forum for cardiovascular
professionals interested in participating or who those currently
participating in PQRI. The call, which will be held from 3:30
p.m. - 5 p.m. EST, will provide a detailed overview of the
PQRI measures that can be reported by cardiologists in 2009.
The forum also
will provide perspectives from prominent cardiologists who
participated in the program in 2007 and 2008 about the successes
and failures they experienced as a PQRI participant. CMS experts
will be available to answer technical questions about participation
and reporting. Forum participants will have the opportunity
to ask questions of both CMS and the participating cardiologists
to make informed decisions about PQRI participation.
The Open
Door Forum can be accessed by calling 1-800-837-1935 (Conference
ID 89036042). A transcript of the forum will be available
here,
beginning March 26. More information about PQRI can be found
at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI.
FDA
News Updates The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 5 issued a warning
for transdermal drug patches after determining that the patches,
if worn while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
scans or MRIs, can cause skin burns. The patches of concern
include both brand name and generic products and patches purchased
over the counter without a prescription. The FDA is reviewing
the labeling and composition of all medicated patches to ensure
that those made with materials containing metal provide a
warning to patients. More
information is available from the FDA.
The FDA
on March 6 approved SyntheMed’s Repel-CV, a synthetic
film barrier for use in pediatric cardiac surgery patients.
Repel-CV is a bioresorbable film designed to be placed over
the surface of the heart at the conclusion of an open-heart
surgical procedure to reduce the formation of post-operative
adhesions. The product is designed to provide the therapeutic
benefit and then degrade so that it is cleared from the surgical
site. More
information is available from the FDA.
The FDA
recently added new side effects to the patient package insert
for Vytorin, manufactured by Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals.
The insert now highlights the risk of “poor memory”
and “trouble sleeping” as potential side effects.
The insert
can be read in full online.
QUALITY
ACC
President Participates in White House Summit
ACC
President Douglas Weaver M.D., F.A.C.C., on March 5 represented
the cardiovascular community at the White House Summit on
Health Care. The Summit was intended to build support for
health care reform and to gather ideas from health care leaders.
After attending the Summit, Dr. Weaver said, "What I
heard today was a consensus from the President, leaders from
both parties in Congress and industry--all of whom agreed
that we can and must work together to reform our health care
system. And the sooner we do that, the better we'll be able
to provide quality care to our patients.”
The ACC
wants to hear from members on health care reform. Nearly a
hundred members have written in to share their views on what
is needed for health care reform. A selection of these comments
appears on ACC’s online forum, The Lewin Report,
and the ACC encourages you to contribute your thoughts to
the ongoing discussion. View
the comments here. More information about the ACC's health
reform efforts, visit: qualityfirst.acc.org.
ACC
Responds to NCRP Radiation Exposure Report Medical
radiation exposure of the U.S. population has increased more
than seven-fold since 1980, according to a recent National
Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) report.
The report cites the dramatic increase in the use of imaging
technology to diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease and
other major illnesses as one of the leading causes of this
increase.
The ACC
commends the NCRP for its focus on this important patient
safety issue. Unfortunately, attempts have been made to link
the report’s findings to ownership or leasing of imaging
equipment by non-radiologist physicians. “Medical radiation
exposure is a concern of everyone who relies on medical imaging
technology,” says ACC President Douglas Weaver, M.D.,
F.A.C.C. “The ACC has worked with the American College
of Radiology (ACR) to find ways to eliminate unnecessary and
inappropriate procedures .... The argument that someone other
than the specialist caring for a patient will make a better
decision about whether a test should be done is a thinly veiled
attempt to protect ‘turf.’ Worse, it will neither
lower utilization nor guarantee that patients are receiving
the right test, in the right setting, at the right time.”
Read the full response here.
Or, participate
in the discussion on ACC’s online forum, The
Lewin Report.
Don’t
Miss the ACC.09 Quality Track!
Don’t
miss the quality track at ACC.09! The quality track provides
a great opportunity to hear about ACC quality efforts already
underway, as well as learn about innovative ways to improve
quality of care and empower patients. ACC’s quality
efforts are represented by Quality First, the College’s
health care reform campaign. Through Quality First, the ACC
is taking a leading role in health care reform efforts by
engaging patients, lawmakers, payers and others around a new
standard of health care delivery focused on increasing the
quality of care and ensuring greater patient value. Learn
more at qualityfirst.acc.org.
Also, look for the Quality First survey in your portfolio
bag. Turn in your completed survey at ACC Central (Booth #2062)
for a free gift! Specific sessions under the quality track
can be found through the online Program
Planner.
On Sunday,
plan to attend the ACC.09 Scientific Showcase in the Orange
County Convention Center, Hall A2, from 8 – 9:30 a.m.
The quality-themed event features the Simon Dack Lecture by
Princeton University economics professor Uwe Reinhardt; presidential
address by ACC President Douglas Weaver, M.D., F.A.C.C.; and
an JUPITER trial presentation. Later on Sunday, attend the
Louis F. Bishop Lecture, featuring health care economist Len
Nichols, Ph.D. The lecture will take place from 12:15 to 1:30
p.m. in Room W311A.
STATE
Nevada
Chapter Holds Cardiology Day
The
Nevada Chapter of the ACC on March 3-4 held its “Cardiology
Day at the Capitol: Advocating for a Healthy Nevada”
to give members an opportunity to connect with state legislators.
The event included a reception for state lawmakers and dinner
with Gov. Jim Gibbons, who offered insight into ways in which
the Chapter can become a greater presence in the state and
encouraged the Chapter to become a resource for him and the
Legislature. The following day, Chapter members met with more
than twenty elected officials to introduce them to issues
in cardiology. The event was a success in building relationships
with lawmakers and introducing the Nevada Chapter as the “go
to” organization on cardiovascular issues in the state.
