If the warmer weather isn’t enough of an indication of the time of year, take a look at the calendar. As of this week, we’ve officially moved into spring.
Spring, of course, means plants are blooming and animals are starting to move around more, including people.
But mosquitos are on the move too, and that’s where you come in as a physician.
As you know, the Zika virus is transmitted through mosquito bites, so now’s a good time to remind your patients to protect themselves.
Luckily, mosquito repellent prescriptions are covered through Medicaid and other state programs, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Females ages 10 through 55, pregnant women of any age, and males 14 and older are eligible for prescriptions, the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) said in an alert.
The standing order used in 2017 to prescribe mosquito repellent expires April 10. Download the renewed 2018-2019 standing order.
People enrolled in the Healthy Texas Women program do not need a prescription, officials said.
In 2017, 48 Zika cases were reported in Texas, mostly in urban counties and in South Texas, down from the 315 reported in 2016. South Texas saw a 21-percent spike in Zika-related birth defects in the last half of 2016, the most recent time period available, health officials said recently.
To review the prescriber and pharmacy notices, visit HHSC’s Vendor Drug Program online.
You can find more information about Zika at www.texaszika.org, or TMA’s Infectious Diseases web page.