Creating a Sustainable and Reliable Emergency Preparedness Program to Promote Appropriate Health Care Resources Use

Over the past decade, the number of natural disasters, health care emergencies, and epidemics has increased significantly. These unpredictable and sometimes devastating events tax already stretched health care systems. The goal of this process paper is to share the experience of a pharmacy school in the development and implementation of a sustainable emergency preparedness and response support network (EPRSN) using an established student government infrastructure to support information sharing among community pharmacies, state emergency response teams, and community members.

There are more than 140 accredited pharmacy schools/colleges across the United States, employing more than 6,500 pharmacy faculty members and teaching more than 63,000 student pharmacists. The majority of schools/colleges provide free and volunteer-based health care services and collaborate with local, regional, and national entities, such as state boards of pharmacy and national and state professional pharmacy organizations. Student pharmacists are positioned across the country with reach to rural and underserved communities and have student organizational structures in place to manage student volunteers and support health care service opportunities. To address gaps in emergency and preparedness response, pharmacy students assessed and operationalized steps to develop the EPRSN. Pharmacies were identified and contacted by student pharmacists. Student leaders created student organization flowcharts and call charts with up-to-date pharmacist contact information. Organizational structure for collecting, capturing, updating, and sharing pharmacy data with state emergency response teams was developed and trialed.

Student pharmacists represent a sustainable resource, uniquely positioned to identify community needs, support emergency efforts, coordinate with local pharmacies, and work with pharmacists and others to ensure that patients receive the care they need during pandemics and other emergencies.