The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted several new public health policies aimed at improving the health of various populations across the United States. These policies, decided on the final day of voting at the AMA Annual Meeting, address healthcare in minority rural communities, biotin supplement awareness, tobacco product regulation, youth e-cigarette access, nicotine analogue products regulation, and cybersecurity for physician practices.
**Improving Healthcare in Minority Rural Communities**
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 46 million people live in rural areas in the U.S., with minority communities facing higher risks for cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses. The AMA’s new policy promotes health care access and disease prevention through tailored educational efforts. It also calls for enhanced understanding by federal, state, and local governments of these communities' unique needs.
“With widening health disparities between rural and urban communities... we must continue working to reduce these inequities,” said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D.
**Biotin Supplement Awareness**
The AMA has highlighted concerns about high-dose biotin supplements interfering with lab test results. The FDA recommends a daily allowance of 30 mcg for adults; however, many supplements exceed this amount significantly. The AMA supports labeling that warns consumers about potential lab test interference due to high biotin intake.
“It is our duty to ensure all patients... are aware of the potential for these supplements to interfere in a variety of laboratory tests,” said AMA Board Member Alexander Ding, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.
**Tobacco Product Regulation**
A new policy requires stores selling tobacco or nicotine products to display information about anti-smoking hotlines. These hotlines offer confidential coaching similar to smoking-cessation classes.
“Requiring stores to post a hotline number is part of the AMA’s longtime work to reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality,” said AMA Trustee Ilse R. Levin, D.O., M.P.H. & TM.
**Youth E-Cigarette Access**
The policy aims to decrease youth access to e-cigarettes by reducing the geographic density of tobacco stores near schools and including all forms of e-cigarettes under relevant regulations.
“E-cigarette use among our young people continues to be a significant threat... We will continue to push for more stringent policies,” said AMA Board Member Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, M.D.
Despite recent declines in e-cigarette use among high school students as noted by national surveys and regulatory actions by agencies like the FDA, usage remains high among adolescents.
**Regulation of Nicotine Analogue Products**
With increasing electronic cigarette products containing synthetic nicotine analogues such as 6-methyl nicotine that are potentially more potent than traditional nicotine products, the AMA urges FDA regulation treating these analogues as drugs.
“We believe that companies using nicotine analogues... are using chemicals like 6-methyl nicotine to circumvent existing regulations meant to protect public health,” said AMA Board Member Toluwalase Ajayi, M.D.
**Cybersecurity Relief Fund**
To safeguard physician practices from cyberattacks impacting patient access and practice viability, the AMA advocates for a cybersecurity relief fund financed by payors like health insurance companies. This fund would ensure uninterrupted payments during cyberattack disruptions affecting claims processing or benefit verification.
“The recent cyberattack put on display warnings... it is critical that payors have a contingency plan,” said Immediate Past President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H.
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