Health&Wellness Magazine June 2014 | Página 39

For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | June 2014 Senate Bill 118 Signed By Governor allowed. Shortages can be especially detrimental for glaucoma patients; gaps in treatment can lead to vision loss and increase the risk of blindness. Recognizing this barrier to care, the Academy lobbied for reform. Thanks to their efforts, patients who use prescription eye drops can now refill their prescription after 25 days, instead of the previous 30, if the practitioner notes on the prescription that additional quantities are needed. For a 90 day prescription, early refills are now permitted between 80 and 90 days. In addition, Senate Bill 118 also allows for an extra bottle of prescription eye drops to be kept at a school or daycare center and filled once every three months. “This change is important to those patients who suffer from chronic eye disease. Without proper treatment patients may face much more costly & 39 and invasive intervention, such as surgery,” said Dr. Julie Lee, Presidentelect of the Academy. The Academy’s mission is to promote and advance the science and art of medicine and surgery, and to provide convenient and quality eye care to the citizens of Kentucky. To learn more about the group, visit their website at http:// www.kyeyemds.org/. Kentucky patients with chronic eye conditions benefit from new law, thanks to the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons FRANKFORT, KY – Governor Steve Beshear signed Senate Bill 118 on April 7, 2014, signaling a win for the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (“the Academy”) who worked diligently with legislators during the General Assembly to promote the bill. Anyone who has used eye drops knows that application can be difficult and often results in inadvertent waste. Unlike a pill, drops that miss the eye are gone forever – there is no way to recover the lost amount. Health plans often provide an inadequate volume of monthly eye drops for patients with chronic eye conditions because they fail to account for this common, unavoidable problem. For those with chronic eye conditions, inadvertent waste can prove to be an obstacle for effective treatment. The elderly and children, who often struggle with successful drop application, frequently run out of their prescription before a refill is STABLE WELLNESS CENTER Individual and Group Sessions • Life Coaching • Counseling • Eating Disorders • Family Services NOW Located in Hamburg! www.stablewellness.com Call us at 859-948-8644