PAMED NEWS

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals that there is a nationwide voluntary recall and subsequent near-term stockout of Benzathine Penicillin G (Bicillin L-A®)

The Superior Court recently ruled unfavorably in Dajah Hagans v. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, et al., a case in which PAMED and the AMA partnered on an amici curiae (“friends of the court”) brief. The case concerns the treatment that J.H., a now-seven-year-old boy, received at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (“HUP”) at the time of his birth. Specifically, the plaintiff, J.H.’s mother, alleged that a delayed C-section and late administration of antibiotics caused major negative health consequences for J.H.

With the completion of his psychiatry residency at Thomas Jefferson University, Nathan Hoff, MD, MPH is not just looking ahead to his new role in adult outpatient psychiatry, he’s also reflecting on his journey on the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s (PAMED) Reference Committee.

PHC4 releases Financial Analysis – Volume One, today. The first volume of a three-part series of financial reports published annually by PHC4. Volume One displays financial information from general acute care (GAC) hospitals licensed in Pennsylvania during fiscal year 2024 (FY24).

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning registrants of new fraud schemes in which scammers impersonate DEA personnel and notify registrants that they are under investigation, presumably in an attempt to obtain personal information.

In May, the U.S. State Department (Department) directed U.S. embassies and consulates to pause new student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa appointments to enhance their social media vetting. This pause was lifted on June 18, 2025, but some international doctors have not been able to secure a visa.

The Board of Medicine (Board) issued out final regulations to effectuate Act 79 of 2021. Act 79 removed certain restrictions on physician assistant practice to provide greater autonomy in the practice of the profession.

PAMED has been informed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) that a telehealth provider has been arrested, which means patients may not have access to care.

Thank you to everyone who sent over 600 messages yesterday in response to the U.S. House of Representatives vote on proposed Medicaid cuts.

On Monday, July 7, 2025, Pennsylvania will become a full participant of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) and the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed recommendations made this in April by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to expand access to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination, as well as to add a new option for meningococcal vaccination.

Prior to the enactment of Act 140 of 2020, this Commonwealth was one of only four states that did not regulate pharmacy technicians.

The Drug Enforcement Administration proposes to permanently schedule the following three controlled substances in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)...

Currently, nurses who administer anesthesia in this Commonwealth are licensed as RNs and are authorized to administer anesthesia if properly educated with a graduate degree from a COA-accredited nurse anesthesia program, nationally certified by NBCRNA and the anesthesia is administered in cooperation with a surgeon or dentist.

Upcoming meetings for committees within the PA Department of Health.

As of Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the first WNV-positive mosquito pools of the year were identified in Pennsylvania in five counties including Beaver, Bucks, Erie, Lehigh and Northampton through the routine seasonal monitoring conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance program.

On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) granted De Novo authorization to Clairity Breast, the first-ever AI-powered platform that predicts a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer over the next five years—using only a standard mammogram. De Novo authorization is especially meaningful as it marks the very first platform of its kind.

Effective July 1, 2025, AmeriTrust Group, Inc., an affiliate brand of AF Group, will no longer directly service Pennsylvania Medical Society members. To better support the association members, we have appointed World Insurance Associates LLC as the exclusive agent for brokerage services -- AmeriTrust will remain the insurance carrier.

The United States Supreme Court, on June 23, 2025, denied the petition of the Pennsylvania Joint Underwriting Association (JUA) to have the Supreme Court review its case against Governor Shapiro and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.