Health
- Details
- Written by: Editor
Gary Pace, M.D., interim Lake County public health officer, said that, from the point of view of Public Health, the main concern is going to be air quality.
Current particulate levels are in the range from “unhealthy” to “hazardous” throughout the county. These unhealthy to hazardous levels of smoke are expected to continue through Wednesday.
If you live in the area, most office buildings are no worse for your health than your home environment. Some offices have “air scrubbers,” so their air will actually be better than in the home. If there is ash in the environment, clean it up without agitating it.
For farm workers picking pears or other outdoor work, the concerns are the same.
People in the high risk groups should avoid heavy exercise with the current worrisome air quality.
For farmworkers who choose to work even with the smoke, if they start having symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, or chest pain, they should stop work and get medical help if symptoms persist.
There are no indications that any permanent problems such as cancer will develop due to short term exposure to smoke such as this.
Since the air problems are almost exclusively from wood smoke, there are no real industrial contaminants that might lead to other long-term problems.
Specific recommendations Pace offered included the following:
• Recommendations are that people over 65, under 12, and those with pre-existing lung disease (such as asthma, bronchitis, COPD and other respiratory conditions) or heart problems are at particular risk from breathing this air and should take extra precautions.
• High risk people should carefully adhere to their medical treatment plans and maintain at least a five-day supply of prescribed medications.
• High risk groups should limit outdoor activity and unnecessary physical exertion while smoke is present. If they cannot leave the smoky area, good ways to protect the lungs from wildfire smoke include staying indoors and reducing physical activity.
• Wearing an air purifying respirator can also help protect the lungs from wildfire smoke. N-95 masks may be effective in reducing some of the harmful particulate matter, but they also increase the work of breathing and are not recommended as a general protective measure.
• Dust masks are not protective against the ultra-fine particulate, which is the pollutant most detrimental to health caused by wildfire smoke.
• If you have air conditioning, turn it to interior recirculation or turn off and use fans. This prevents the intake of the outside, smoky air.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County Health Services Department
In some cases, citizens may not have access to their original written prescriptions for a number of reasons, including rapid evacuation from the fire area.
The Lake County Health Services Department said California Pharmacy Law (Section 4054) provides that pharmacists may in good faith furnish a “reasonable” supply of medications or devices to patients in emergency conditions without a prescription.
Patients who need to obtain prescription medications or devices on an emergency basis should go to an open pharmacy and bring their original prescription containers or be able to provide their physician’s name.
Before filling the prescription, the pharmacist should make every reasonable effort to contact the original prescriber, and should make an appropriate record. That record must include the basis for proceeding under this section.
It is important to remember that the prescriber will not have any liability as a result of refilling a prescription under this section of law. The law was designed to offer this protection during states of emergency.
Any questions or concerns about this section of California Pharmacy Law that may arise should be referred to the Lake County Emergency Operations Center. Those questions will be referred to the emergency physician available at the EOC. The number to call is 707-263-3450.
Citizens should be able to receive needed medications and devices despite this state of emergency. This section of California Pharmacy Law provides for that process.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Below is a list of open pharmacies, any of which will be able to accommodate emergency requests.
Please bring your medication bottle(s) and/or the actual medication with you to help the pharmacist fill your prescription.
The pharmacist will contact your physician for confirmation.
Please call the pharmacy directly for hours of operation and more information:
– Lake Pharmacy, 15230 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake, 707-994-3141.
– Moran’s Pharmacy, 15175 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake, 707-994-6440.
– Rite Aid Pharmacy, 15025 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, 707-994-8677.
– Walmart Pharmacy, 15960 Dam Road, Clearlake, 707-994-1671.
– Coyote Valley Pharmacy, 18990 Coyote Valley Road, Suite 2, Hidden Valley Lake, 707-987-8502.
– Kelseyville Pharmacy, 3720 Main St., Kelseyville, 707-279-1561.
– Lucerne Pharmacy, 6244 East Highway 20, Lucerne, 707-274-6643.
- Details
- Written by: Partnership HealthPlan of California
“It is unfortunate that these devastating fires are happening all too frequently,” said PHC CEO Liz Gibboney. “In response, we have launched our community emergency response plans that will allow our members to more easily access care in these difficult times.”
During this crisis, PHC is working with doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and health centers to ensure that members have access to their medications or medical care regardless of whether they are able to reach their assigned pharmacy or primary care physician.
Affected PHC members are encouraged to:
· Call Member Services at 800-863-4155 if they need help locating a doctor or pharmacy; if their medication, medical equipment, or medical supplies were lost or damaged in the fire, or if their regular pharmacy is closed due to the fire. (Members can use any pharmacy that is open. Outside of their home counties, members can use most pharmacies, including those in grocery stores and chain stores such as CVS, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart and Walgreens.)
· Call PHC’s 24-Hour Advice Nurse line at 866-778-8873 if they need to speak to a nurse and are unable to reach their doctor.
· Call Beacon Health Options at 855-765-9703 for mental health services.
Additionally, PHC opened its doors at its Redding Avtech location to United Way of Northern California, or UWNC, who had been evacuated from their Redding office. This community partnership allowed UWNC to continue to keep vital 2-1-1 services fully operational and begin to raise funds to assist fire victims.
PHC is a nonprofit community-based health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits through local care providers. PHC provides quality health care to more than 555,700 Medi-Cal members in to 14 Northern California counties.
How to resolve AdBlock issue?