Pharmacists have major role in emergency response

Menighan, Thomas E.

doi:10.1016/j.ptdy.2016.07.009

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…However, having roughly 1 in 10 pharmacies that either has no formal disaster plan and/or no offsite data backup is problematic, given how critical these 2 areas are for business operations and/or resumption during and in the short-term after a disaster. [17][18][19][20][21] Rates for community pharmacies having a certified pharmacy immunizer on staff ranged from 50.0% to 87.7%, with pharmacies in lower-income or high-elderly areas being significantly less likely to report having a certified pharmacy immunizer on staff. Community pharmacies can have a valuable role to play in public health emergencies (eg, influenza) wherein vaccination is a critical component of response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Community pharmacies can have a valuable role to play in public health emergencies (eg, influenza) wherein vaccination is a critical component of response. 18,19 The strengths of this study include 100% sample of community pharmacies in 3 geographically large study areas across 5 states with a high overall response rate (75.9%). The study areas were in 3 distinct regions in the United States (Midwest, Appalachia, West Coast), which each have different disaster risk profiles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, it is critical to ensure the pharmacy has a well thought out, viable plan, something that can be created by the pharmacy itself, or adapted from readily available templates or existing plans available online, but that takes stock of operational strengths and weaknesses, considers an common array of potential disaster scenarios, and includes steps for continuing business operations, if reasonable, feasible, and safe, to serve their customers/local populations during times of need. [17][18][19][20] Second, it is important to ensure that customer records and files are available through protected hardcopy records or off-site data backup, so that, in the chaos that often ensues during disasters and emergencies, people who may have lost a great deal or be injured or searching for loved ones can obtain their regular care. Having records and files safe also reduces the burden for all local populations using pharmacy products and services.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…22 In the context of public health emergencies (eg, outbreak), community pharmacists and pharmacies can also serve as a possible community health resource, not only through providing education and answering questions for customers, but by having 1 or more trained pharmacy-based immunizers on staff. 18,19 This pilot study investigated basic preparedness in community pharmacies in predominantly rural areas of 5 states, including business continuity (formal disaster/business continuity plan, offsite data backup, and emergency power), as well as infectious disease response capacity (certified pharmacy immunizer on staff).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Basic Disaster Preparedness of Rural Community Pharmacies in 5 States

Henkel

Marvanová

2019

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Objectives:The aim of this study was to investigate the basic preparedness of rural community pharmacies to continue operations during and immediately following a disaster.Methods:In 2014, we conducted a telephone survey (N = 990) of community pharmacies in 3 rural areas: North Dakota/South Dakota, West Virginia, Southern Oregon/Northern California regarding whether they had a formal disaster/continuity plan, offsite data backup, emergency power generation, and/or had a certified pharmacy immunizer on staff. Logistic regression and chi square were performed using Stata 11.1.Findings:Community pharmacies in rural areas (≤50.0 persons/mile2) were less likely to have emergency power (odds ratio [OR] = 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32-1.07) or certified pharmacy immunizer on staff (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.34-0.64). Pharmacies in lower income areas were less likely to have emergency power and offsite data backup or a formal disaster plan (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.49-0.99) compared with pharmacies in higher income areas. Community pharmacies in areas of higher percent elderly population were less likely to have emergency power (OR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.39-0.73), or certified pharmacy immunizer on staff (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47-0.91) compared with chain pharmacies in areas with lower percent elderly population.Conclusions:Being in a rural, low-income, or high-elderly area was associated with lower likelihood of basic preparedness of community pharmacies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Basic Disaster Preparedness of Rural Community Pharmacies in 5 States

Henkel

Marvanová

2019

Disaster med. public health prep.

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“…Although pharmacies are usually visited by ill people, people with sudden medical problems also believe that any pharmacist can provide first aid. Thus, pharmacists may play a vital role in providing medical help [8]. This conclusion was drawn on the basis of the majority of minor ailments treated, such as bleeding and burns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Medical Emergencies in Hungarian Pharmacies

Felkai

Iván

2019

Pharmacy

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To amass a body of knowledge for managing emergency situations in pharmacies, we surveyed the occurrence and nature of medical problems in Hungarian pharmacies. The occurrence of real or suspected emergencies in pharmacies was markedly different and varied from 1–52 per year, with five cases per year on average. The most frequent problems were bleeding (69%) and dizziness (55%), but other more serious problems (allergic reaction (32%), collapse (23%), and chest pain (25%)) also occurred. Sometimes more than one symptom was reported by a patient. People appear to consider pharmacies to be an appropriate site for receiving first aid for minor ailments, including common medical problems (e.g., fever (12%)). Unfortunately, the range of interventions was very limited because of local legal regulations and the lack of appropriate guidelines for emergencies in pharmacies. The most frequent interventions were wound treatment, control of bleeding (78%), alleviation of anxiety (68%), and providing patients with a glass of water (55%). Very often, more than one intervention was reported for the same case. Whereas 76.3% of pharmacists provided interventions only for adults, 21% of pharmacists provided interventions for all types of patients (adults, co-workers in pharmacies, and children). Pharmacists appeared to be reluctant to treat children, owing to the special issues related to pediatrics. This poor range of intervention should encourage responsible officials to develop guidelines for pharmacists to ensure pharmacists’ familiarity with the appropriate interventions in emergency situations. Such knowledge could also provide a good basis for preparing pharmacists to perform vaccinations in the future. The pharmacists had a positive attitude toward providing first aid, and 88% of respondents requested more postgraduate education on medical first aid issues.

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