Pharmaceutical services at a medical site after Hurricane Andrew

The experiences of a group of volunteer clinical pharmacists who provided pharmacy services as part of a disaster relief effort following a hurricane are reported. Hurricane Andrew left many people in southern Florida without shelter and other basic necessities, including health care services. A group of seven pharmacists volunteered to provide services at a temporary medical site set up in a community center. The pharmacy stock consisted of donated drugs. The pharmacists dispensed medications directly to patients and worked closely with other volunteer medical personnel to make sure proper medications were used. Because the pharmacy stock was limited, physicians relied upon the pharmacists for information about therapeutic interchanges, dosage conversions, and new medications. Prescriptions were often ordered and dispensed with only oral instructions. The pharmacists also provided patient counseling, although problems caused by inexperience with certain types of patients, a language barrier, and substandard living conditions after the hurricane made counseling more difficult. The contributions of seven pharmacists who provided services at an emergency medical site after Hurricane Andrew were well received by other health care personnel and by the community.