Open for business: Pharmacies respond to emergency

When Hurricane Sandy flooded the streets of big cities and beachside communities on the East Coast, when Winter Storm Jonas dumped several feet of snow on cities up and down the eastern seaboard, when tornadoes devastated towns in Texas and Oklahoma, and when floods in the Midwest turned streets into waterways, local pharmacies and national pharmacy retailers were among the first responders.



Retail pharmacies play an important role in disaster and emergency situations, often acting to provide first response aid for people needing food, water, medical supplies and healthcare services.



In recent years, the integrated efforts of the retail pharmacy community have led to an increased ability to react quickly and dedicate targeted aid during emergency situations.



“For our part, community pharmacies are a valuable emergency response resource for reaching the public with essential medications and vaccines,” said Kathleen Jaeger, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ SVP of pharmacy care and patient advocacy. “Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to reach broad segments of a community, especially since 93% of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy.”



Examples abound. Jaeger noted in an emergency preparedness forum sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, “During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, pharmacists improved the capacity and reach of the public health system by administering more than 5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine in a matter of weeks. The partnership between pharmacy and the public health community that formed during this outbreak provided a foundation to strengthen and expand connections between public health entities and community pharmacies, and recognize the extensive reach and capacity of pharmacies as a vital component of emergency response.”



“As we have witnessed from forest fires to hurricanes to broad pandemics,” she added, “pharmacies play an essential role as a trusted access point for care and are committed to working ... to build a stronger healthcare preparedness system.”



To that end, when natural disasters and public health emergencies occur, pharmacies work diligently to provide continued access to medicine for patients during times of crisis.



During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, CVS Health partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the N.Y.C. Department of Health and Hygiene to waive co-payment deductibles for New York residents affected by the storm.



Rx Response, set up by PhRMA in 2006, is dedicated to protecting patients’ continued access to medicine during times of crisis. This charitable organization features an integrated network of pharmacy chains that can provide real-time information to help people find open pharmacies during emergency situations, so they can continue to fill needed prescriptions. In 2015, Rx Response changed its name to Healthcare Ready to reflect its coordination of the broader healthcare system and the public sector during natural disasters, terrorist attacks, disease pandemics and other emergency situations.



In a recent response to Winter Storm Jonas, Healthcare Ready activated its Rx Open online resource tool to provide information on open pharmacies in 17 states and Washington, D.C.



Apart from making major investments in relief efforts, retail pharmacy chains are establishing policies that will allow for maximized aid during times of crisis.



Walmart, with more than 4,500 pharmacies, has been operating an Emergency Operations Center at its headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., since the early 2000s. This facility is staffed with an in-house meteorologist who monitors weather patterns and a team of dedicated associates trained to respond to disaster situations.



Last year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation invested more than $1.5 million, according to a company source, to “strengthen technological infrastructure for disaster response and resiliency, build capacity to facilitate skills-based volunteerism during disasters, and convene leaders in disaster relief to share best practices.”



CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance and other retailers have responded to disasters in part by setting up mobile pharmacy trailers in affected communities to fill prescriptions and offer essential supplies. Most recently, CVS Health, Walmart and other retail drug chains have rallied support for the Flint, Mich., community through donations, education and online services.



In addition, point-of-care facilities within retail pharmacies, such as Kroger’s The Little Clinics, CVS Health’s MinuteClinics or Walgreens Boot Alliance’s Healthcare Clinics, are staffed by nurse practitioners who can provide much needed healthcare services during times of crisis. Those services can range from administering tetanus shots to dressing wounds. Retail clinics also can staff storm shelters with nurse practitioners from their in-store clinics to provide healthcare services during disaster situations.

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