Ready, willing and able: the role of pharmacists in natural and manmade disasters – can we do more?

Porter, Kaitlyn E.; Singleton, Judith; Tippett, Vivienne; Nissen, Lisa

doi:10.1111/ijpp.12351

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…No one bargains for disaster yet they do happen anyways (Feller et al, 2017). A disaster is an event that has the potential to create widespread damage and disruption, as well as to kill and injure people, damage and destroy their homes and health systems, and cut off their lifelines (Porter et al, 2018). Partridge et al, (2011) categorized disasters into natural and manmade, natural disasters includes earthquakes volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, floods, fire, and tornadoes, whereas manmade is caused by humans such as war, stampedes, fires, transport accidents, industrial accidents and conflicts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergency Preparedness Of Nurses And Midwives In Accra, Ghana

Kafui Dzakpasu,

Agyemang Opoku,

Achiaa Owusu

et al. 2023

AJHS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nurses are often the first responders in hospital emergencies, a greater emphasis on emergency preparedness in nursing education, as well as ongoing training and capacity building, is necessary. The study focused on the emergency preparedness of nurses and midwives at the Police Hospital in Accra of Ghana. It considered the knowledge of nurses and midwives on emergency and disaster preparedness; the roles of the nurses and midwives on emergency and disaster preparedness; and relevant training programmes of the nurses midwives on emergency preparedness and management. The study employed descriptive survey of the quantitative approach. Questionnaire was employed for 133 nurses and midwives that were selected with the aid of simple random sampling technique. The data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations with the aid of SPSS software version 26. About 60% of respondents indicated they have training on emergency/disaster preparedness in the last 5 years. Close to 74% also revealed that emergency/disaster planning is a preparedness on what might be needed to be done, how to be done before and after. Most (64%) of respondents indicated they have adequate knowledge on safety precaution and management during emergency and disaster occurrence, however, few respondents (34.6%) indicated that the Police Hospital have bed capacity, equipment and logistics to cater for patients in the occurrence of an emergency/disaster. The police hospital has a triage area and has a chain of command during a large scale emergency event. About 75.2% of respondent indicated they know how to triage in a large-scale and almost 79.7% of respondents know how to assess and respond to site safety issues for self, co-workers and affected people during a large-scale emergency event. About 91.7% agreed that there is a need for periodic training and lecture for the nurses and midwives whiles 88.7% indicated that emergency and disaster stimulation drills should be conducted frequently to adequately prepare the nurses and midwives for emergency events. The nurses and midwives had a moderate degree of perceived knowledge in emergency/disaster management. They were well-informed about their roles in emergency/disaster preparedness. Despite their limited knowledge and skills, the respondents were enthusiastic about emergency/disaster training and simulations

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergency Preparedness Of Nurses And Midwives In Accra, Ghana

Kafui Dzakpasu,

Agyemang Opoku,

Achiaa Owusu

et al. 2023

AJHS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During disasters in Australia, communities expect pharmacies to remain open late outside of normal working hours. Sometimes pharmacists are asked to supply medicines without the consumer paying and outside of regulation (e.g., in lieu of a prescription) [6,7]. This presents challenging and sometimes ethically complex scenarios for pharmacists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Pharmacists’ Roles during the 2019–2020 Australian Black Summer Bushfires

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Australians are no strangers to sudden natural disasters, such as bushfires. The effects of a natural disaster can devastate local communities and health care services. Currently, limited research has explored the role of the pharmacist during a natural disaster. This study explores the role of the Australian pharmacist during the 2019/2020 Black Summer Bushfires. Methods: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with ten community pharmacists who worked through the Black Summer Bushfires whose daily tasks and work environment were directly affected by the bushfires. Thematic analysis using NVivo®, a qualitative data analysis software was conducted. Results: Analysis of the transcripts generated six main themes: collaboration; trauma and mental health; power and communication; acute presentations; triaging and emergency prescribing. Pharmacists worked in close collaboration with doctors and members of the local community. They provided triaging services, timely health advice about chronic health problems, and managed acute issues, including wound and burn management and mental health support in traumatic conditions, sometimes without power and communication amenities. The challenges presented to pharmacists during the bushfires warranted creative and flexible approaches at times. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for mental health support and training for pharmacists, provisional prescribing privileges, and a clearer set of contingency regulations and legislation related to emergencies and natural disasters. Further research is warranted to gain greater insight into the roles undertaken by Australian pharmacists during natural disasters and their autonomy in decision making processes during such times.

show abstract