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Is telemedicine compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)? It can be if reasonable precautions are taken. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) delineates what must be done to ensure proper compliance with HIPAA rules and regulations:

Security Rule Requirements

The Security Rule, in general, requires entities to:

Risk Analysis

Entities are required to perform risk analysis. This should be an ongoing process, entailing four essential parts:

  1. Evaluating probability and impact of potential risks to confidential information.
  2. Implementing security measures to address the above risks.
  3. Documenting security measures and their rationale.
  4. Maintaining continuous protection.

Safeguards

Safeguards must be in place to ensure HIPAA compliance:

State Laws and HIPAA

HIPAA supersedes all state laws, ensuring a national standard for protecting sensitive patient data.

Telemedicine Services and HIPAA Compliance

Most large telemedicine services, like QuickMD, Teladoc, and Doctor-On-Demand, follow HIPAA and are therefore considered HIPAA-compliant. This means your personal health data will remain private and will only be shared with people and entities involved in your care, like doctors, nurses, billing departments, etc. To see how these protections were later expanded for electronic health records, read about the difference between HIPAA and HITECH.

Patient Waivers

The patient can waive certain aspects of HIPAA. For example, suppose a patient prefers to communicate with their doctor or care team by email and agrees to receive protected health information by email. In that case, this does not constitute a HIPAA violation.

Additional Information

For more information, check the Department of Health & Human Services website.

QuickMD Telemedicine Services

QuickMD adheres to HIPAA regulations to ensure your health information is protected and secure. To experience safe and confidential telemedicine, book an appointment with QuickMD today.

Advair, a powerful combination of fluticasone, an anti-inflammatory medication, and salmeterol, a long-acting bronchodilator, is a crucial tool in managing chronic obstructive lung disease, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.

This medication not only prevents exacerbation or worsening of these conditions but also significantly lowers the risk of hospitalization, increased mucus production, cough, and shortness of breath. However, it’s important to note that if an acute exacerbation is already in progress, Advair should not be used for rescue.

Dosage

Common Side Effects

Cost

The price of Advair ranges from $38.00 to $135.00 for an aerosol powdered metered inhaler, strength 113/14 mcg (fluticasone/salmeterol).

How to Obtain a Prescription for Advair

As a prescription medication, Advair can only be obtained through a healthcare professional. This means you’ll need to consult with a physician or other licensed prescriber who can assess your condition and determine if Advair is the right choice for you. If your asthma tends to flare during workouts, it also helps to review the treatment options for exercise-induced asthma so you can talk them through with a doctor.

QuickMD Telemedicine Services

QuickMD can treat your chronic lung disease remotely via telemedicine and prescribe Advair online. Get in touch with a QuickMD provider to manage your chronic lung condition effectively and conveniently.

High cholesterol levels raise the risk of heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, and liver disease. Normal cholesterol levels for adults should be less than 200 mg/dL in total. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol should be greater than 60 mg/dL for good health, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol should not be higher than 130 mg/dL.

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

You have the power to lower high cholesterol through effective lifestyle changes.

  1. Maintain a Healthy Weight:
    • Healthy weight is determined by body mass index (BMI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a BMI calculator on its website. Simply plug in your height and weight.
    • If your BMI is over 24.9, it is time to reduce.
    • A healthy diet with lots of whole fruits and vegetables and low in processed sugars, starches, high-fat dairy products, and red meats is essential.
    • Limiting portion sizes and aiming for 1,000 calories per day will result in about a 2-pound per week loss of fat in most people.
  2. Exercise Regularly:
    • Daily walks not only help burn calories but also increase HDL, the healthy kind of cholesterol.
    • Swimming and bicycle riding are also good aerobic exercises.

Medications to Lower Cholesterol

When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, rest assured that there are medications available to aid in lowering cholesterol levels. Since reaching a healthier weight is one of those lifestyle changes, it helps to understand how cholesterol and weight are connected.

  1. Statins (HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitors):
    • Statins prevent the liver from producing cholesterol. They lower LDL cholesterol, raise HDL cholesterol, and lower triglycerides (blood fats). Examples of statins include:
      • Lipitor (atorvastatin)
      • Lescol (fluvastatin)
      • Mevacor (lovastatin)
      • Pravachol (pravastatin)
      • Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium)
      • Zocor (simvastatin)
  2. Bile Acid Binding Agents:
    • These medications work by making the intestine rid the body of more cholesterol. Examples include:
      • Questran (cholestyramine)
      • Colestid (colestipol)
      • WelChol (colesevelam HCl)
  3. Fibrates:
    • Fibrates lower the liver’s production of cholesterol and increase blood clearance of triglycerides. Examples include:
      • Lopid (gemfibrozil)
      • Antara (fenofibrate)
      • Atromid-S (clofibrate)

Where Can I Get a Prescription for Statins?

QuickMD can treat your high cholesterol remotely via telemedicine and prescribe Lipitor or any other cholesterol-lowering drugs or statins online.

Precipitated withdrawal occurs when a medication called buprenorphine is taken while still on opioids. Buprenorphine is designed to treat opioid use disorder by blocking opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord while also having a weak opioid effect. This stops cravings and helps patients quit using opioids like heroin.

Causes and Symptoms of Precipitated Withdrawal

When buprenorphine is taken too early, before the effects of the opioids have worn off, it can cause precipitated withdrawal. 

This happens because the buprenorphine rapidly displaces the opioids still present in the blood and on the opioid receptors without allowing the body to adjust to the lower opioid activity. This leads to severe withdrawal symptoms, including:

To avoid precipitated withdrawal, it is essential to wait until detoxification has begun before starting buprenorphine-containing medications like Suboxone. For most opioids, this waiting period should be at least 24 hours.

For fentanyl and methadone, it should be 2-3 days. Microdosing may help reduce the risk of precipitated withdrawals.

Where Can I Get Suboxone?

QuickMD is the largest TeleMOUD service in the US, treating tens of thousands of patients for opioid use disorder and reaching even the most rural areas. Our patients can get prescribed Suboxone via telemedicine and pick up their medications at their local pharmacy or have it mailed to their homes (in many states).

Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, progresses through three distinct stages: early localized, early disseminated, and late disseminated. Each stage presents with specific symptoms; timely treatment is crucial to prevent complications. Below is an overview of each stage, its symptoms, and treatment options.

Early Localized Lyme Disease (1 to 4 Weeks)

Symptoms:

Treatment: Treatment should begin as early as possible. The first line of treatment is typically doxycycline, an antibiotic in the tetracycline family, for adults and children over eight years old. For children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those allergic to tetracycline, amoxicillin (a penicillin antibiotic) or cefuroxime is recommended. Oral antibiotics are usually prescribed for 14 to 21 days.

Early Disseminated Lyme Disease (1 to 4 Months)

Symptoms:

Treatment: Similar to the early localized stage, early disseminated Lyme disease is treated with oral antibiotics for 14 to 21 days. In some cases where the infection has spread to the central nervous system, intravenous (IV) antibiotics may be required for 14 to 28 days.

Late Disseminated Lyme Disease (Months to Years)

Symptoms:

Treatment: Late disseminated Lyme disease requires a more intensive treatment approach. Patients may need extended oral or IV antibiotic courses to eradicate the bacteria. The treatment duration and specific medications will depend on the severity and location of the infection.

Note: Late disseminated Lyme disease is rare and should not be confused with ‘Chronic Lyme,’ a term used by some to describe persistent symptoms after treatment but not recognized as a distinct medical condition by the majority of the medical community.

Where to Get Treated for Lyme Disease

Most primary care doctors and urgent care clinics can treat early localized and early disseminated Lyme disease. However, if you find yourself in need of access to a primary care doctor on short notice, QuickMD is here to help. Our doctors can provide consultations and prescribe antibiotics via phone or video, and send the prescription to your preferred pharmacy. We’re here to support you in your healthcare journey.

Carfentanil, also spelled carfentanyl, is a highly potent synthetic opioid primarily used by veterinarians under the brand name Wildnil to manage pain in large animals such as elephants and bears. Its strength far exceeds that of other opioids, posing a significant risk of deadly overdose even in minuscule amounts.

Potency and Risks

To understand its potency, consider that fentanyl, another powerful opioid, can be fatal in doses as small as about six grains of salt. Carfentanil is estimated to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl. Due to this extreme potency, carfentanil poses a significant risk to human health and safety.

First responders and laboratory technicians handling substances suspected of containing carfentanil must take stringent precautions, including wearing gloves, masks, and protective clothing to cover all skin and airways. Naloxone (Narcan) and airway support must be readily available in case of accidental exposure.

Smuggling and Street Drugs

The potency of carfentanil makes it easily smuggled into the United States in small, hard-to-detect packages. It is often mixed into other drugs, leading users to unwittingly consume it. This practice has resulted in thousands of deaths, as individuals may think they are taking less potent opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone.

This underscores the significant danger of using street drugs.

Safety Measures

Due to the severe risks associated with carfentanil, it is crucial to stay away from street drugs. If street opioids are taken, having a sober friend present is essential. This person should be prepared to administer naloxone and alert emergency services immediately in case of an overdose.

Conclusion

Carfentanil’s extreme potency and high risk of causing fatal overdoses make it a substance of significant concern. Its presence in street drugs poses a severe public health threat, emphasizing the need for caution and awareness when dealing with any form of opioids.

If you have any questions or concerns surrounding carfentanil and opioid treatment online, get in contact with QuickMD today for online opioid addiction services.

Subutex is a brand name used for buprenorphine monoproduct (buprenorphine without naloxone). Although buprenorphine is no longer sold under the name Subutex, the public still commonly refers to this medication as Subutex. Buprenorphine is designed to treat opioid use disorder. It works by attaching itself to opioid receptors, blocking opioids and thus preventing overdoses while simultaneously stopping the brain’s craving for more opioids.

Commonly Used Opioids

A list of commonly used opioids includes: The primary difference between Subutex and Suboxone is that Suboxone includes naloxone (buprenorphine-naloxone). Naloxone is a complete anti-opioid (opioid antagonist). When taken as directed, it does not get absorbed by the body in sufficient amounts to cause significant effects. Naloxone (Narcan) is added to Suboxone to prevent people from crushing up the medication and injecting it. Although it is difficult to get “high” off buprenorphine due to its partial anti-opioid effect, many states limit the prescriptions of Subutex due to this risk. Therefore, Subutex is generally reserved for a small subset of patients who cannot tolerate Suboxone and is rarely prescribed as the initial medication due to government scrutiny.

What is Subutex? Conclusion

Understanding the difference between Subutex and Suboxone is essential for those undergoing treatment for opioid use disorder. If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction, professional help is available. QuickMD offers online addiction treatment tailored to your needs. Get Online Addiction Treatment at QuickMD

The laboratory test for a urinary tract infection (UTI) is called the urinalysis (UA). Although it is known for being reliable, no test is perfect. In medicine, there is a saying: treat the patient rather than the lab. What are some of the signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection?

Kidney Infection (UTI that Spread to the Kidneys)

Bladder Infection (Cystitis)

Urethral Infection (Urethritis)

When a UTI is suspected, physicians get a history from the patient to rule out other causes of the patient’s complaints. If the urinalysis is negative, but a UTI is still highly suspected, a trial of an antibiotic might be prescribed, along with further tests to find other possible diagnoses. Alternatively, a urine culture can be sent, and if bacteria grows after a few days, antibiotics should be started.

On the other hand, a positive urinalysis without any symptoms should not routinely be treated with antibiotics in an otherwise healthy individual. A positive urinalysis does not always equal a urinary tract infection. Therefore, screening urinalysis should not be performed on healthy adults without UTI symptoms, as this will lead to many false positive results and unnecessary antibiotic administration. This may result in antibiotic resistance and side effects like diarrhea. Resistance can also affect which antibiotics work for a UTI, including commonly prescribed medications like Bactrim.

Conclusion: When to Seek Help for UTI Symptoms

When diagnosing a UTI, it is essential to consider both lab results and patient symptoms. If you suspect a UTI, a healthcare provider can help determine the best course of action.

Did you know? QuickMD can treat your UTI symptoms by telemedicine: our doctors can order a urinalysis for you and get you treated if positive.

TeleMOUD stands for medication for opioid use disorder via telemedicine. This innovative approach allows patients to receive treatment remotely from their homes without having to visit an in-person addiction clinic. The core of teleMOUD is the use of buprenorphine, a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating opioid addiction.

You may also encounter the term “teleMAT.” QuickMD coined this term in March 2020, when QuickMD became the first medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program to treat patients with opioid use disorder exclusively through telemedicine.

What Are Opioids?

Opioids are drugs derived from opium that interact with opioid receptors in the brain. Common opioids include oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, and morphine. While these medications are prescribed for pain relief, they can also induce a euphoric “high,” leading to potential misuse.

What Is Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)?

Opioid use disorder (OUD) encompasses a range of issues resulting from the misuse of opioids. Signs of OUD include:

How Is OUD Treated?

OUD is treated through a combination of therapy, education, and medication. When medication is used, it is referred to as MOUD treatment. The combination of buprenorphine and naloxone is the most common prescription during MOUD treatment.

How Does Buprenorphine Work?

Buprenorphine acts on the same opioid receptors in the brain as opioids like morphine and heroin. However, buprenorphine is a partial agonist, which means it can reduce opioid cravings and allow patients to feel normal without the risk of feeling “high.” It also acts as a partial antagonist, which helps prevent potentially deadly overdoses caused by other opioids taken simultaneously. This medication is typically used in conjunction with counseling.

How Is Buprenorphine Administered?

Buprenorphine is most commonly administered as sublingual tablets or strips designed to dissolve under the tongue.

What Is the Cost of Buprenorphine?

The price of buprenorphine starts at around $20 for 60 sublingual tablets. Strips tend to be more expensive than tablets.

Where Can I Get TeleMOUD Care?

QuickMD provides personalized teleMOUD care. Contact a QuickMD provider to see if you are eligible for this treatment.

Post-herpetic neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that persists for a month or longer after an episode of shingles, an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The pain, located in the same area as the shingles rash, is often described as burning, sharp, jabbing, or deep and aching.

Additional symptoms can include sensitivity to touch, numbness, or itching.

Post-Herpetic Neuralgia Treatment Options

  1. Gabapentin Gabapentin is similar to gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), which modulates the amount of calcium entering nerve cells. This affects neurotransmitters, molecules that carry messages between brain cells and other nerve cells, thereby lowering pain. Gabapentin can be taken three times a day unless it causes dizziness, which can be taken only at bedtime. This allows patients some measure of pain relief and may help them get restful sleep.
  2. Lyrica (Pregabalin) Lyrica has a mechanism of action similar to gabapentin, affecting neurotransmitter activity to reduce pain.
  3. Lidocaine Lidocaine, an anesthetic, can be applied in a 5% gel or patch form to numb the skin and nerves, providing localized pain relief.
  4. Antidepressants Prescribed in low doses, certain antidepressants can affect brain molecules related to the nervous system’s interpretation of pain. Examples include:
    • Nortriptyline: Increases serotonin and norepinephrine, molecules allowing communication between nerve (brain) cells.
    • Cymbalta (Duloxetine): Increases serotonin and norepinephrine.
    • Effexor (Venlafaxine): Increases serotonin and norepinephrine.

Get Treatment for Post-Herpetic Neuralgia with QuickMD

Did you know? QuickMD can treat your post-herpetic neuralgia remotely via telemedicine and prescribe gabapentin or other medications online. Get the pain relief you need without leaving your home.