Keep Medications Cool this Summer

A 101 Days of Summer Safety topic most people do not think about.

Storing medications in high temperatures can decrease effectiveness and some medications can cause increased sensitivity to the sun. Some prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplements can be less effective and lose potency if they are exposed to higher temperatures if left out in the sun or in a hot place for too long. Take time to look over your medications and talk to your doctor about any concerns or questions you have. Your medications help keep you healthy; keeping them out of the heat is a smart way to stay safe all summer.

Tips:

• Do not put medications in an area of direct sunlight (avoid storing medications on windowsills or taking with you for a day at the pool or beach). 
• Do not store medications in areas of high humidity (avoid storing medications in a bathroom which has a shower or bathtub or in the kitchen near the dishwasher or oven)
• Look at your medications before you take them. If they are stuck together in the bottle, if they have any changes in the shape or to the coating of pills — the integrity of the medication may have been compromised. (Important: you cannot always tell there is a problem just by looking. If you can visually see a change, the integrity is likely to be compromised, but the opposite isn’t true. There can still be a decrease in potency/effectiveness even if you can’t see any difference to the medication).
• And remember: never store medications in your car. Car interiors can rise to over 160°, which can be especially harmful to your medications.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transport Reimbursement Law

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transport Reimbursement Law, effective January 1, 2013, gives Montgomery County the authority to bill insurers for emergency medical transports.

• County residents who call for an ambulance will never receive a bill or pay a fee, co-pay, deductible or out-of-pocket expenses. For County residents without health insurance, the ambulance ride is covered because they are taxpayers.
• Whatever private insurers, Medicare or Medicaid pay for emergency medical transports will be considered payment in full.

County Executive Isiah Leggett's December 3 Letter to Residents about the new EMS Law.

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Ambulance Reimbursement

As many of you are aware the Maryland Court of Appeals recently ruled that the question of Ambulance Reimbursement be included on the ballot in November. Thus all of you out there who reside in this wonderful community called Montgomery County will have an opportunity to vote, November 2nd, on this very important public safety initiative.

What many of you may not be aware of are the actual particulars of the Ambulance Reimbursement program. Unfortunately, I have heard many well intentioned folks make statements that simply do not accurately portray what Ambulance Reimbursement is all about. The fact is a majority of our neighbor’s in jurisdictions around the Metro region are already collecting tens of millions of dollars in ambulance reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance companies – with NO adverse effects on residents calling 911 and NO resulting premium increases.

Obviously, there are many other aspects of the reimbursement program that you should be aware of. Toward that end, I am posting links below to information you might find useful as you learn more about the reimbursement program.

As always, Be Safe!
Bill

The case for ambulance service fees (from the Washington Post 10/4)

Get the facts about County Ambulance Reimbursement

Ambulance Reimbursement

It's All About Saving Lives...(English pdf      Spanish pdf)