Mobile Pharmacy Vehicles as Disaster Response Units: Insights from the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Few reports detail the operation of Japan's unique disaster countermeasures, mobile pharmacy vehicles (MPVs). This case report draws on the authors' direct operational experience and anonymized, retrospective open-access data to describe the current system and actual operations of MPVs and examine the feasibility of their international implementation. During the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024, 13 MPVs were deployed to the affected areas following dispatch requests, and 1,834 disaster prescriptions were issued. In accordance with the local medical care delivery system, the deployment of MPVs was coordinated by the disaster pharmacy coordinator, contributing to the rapid and flexible provision of medical services. These results demonstrate the potential international applicability of the MPV system. Further development of information management and operational systems, along with their adaptation for other uses, may enhance the utility of the MPV model as a component of disaster medical support in other countries.