Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and human resource managers must participate
in discussions and planning sessions with state
pharmacy and hospital associations, health depart-
ments, and other health professional licensing
authorities, to establish procedures for the creden-
tialing and incorporation of health professionals
from other settings and states into the workforce in
the event your personnel resources become over-
whelmed, fatigued, or otherwise depleted.
hospital associations, pharmacy professional orga-
nizations, and pharmacy colleges.
With regard to the Strategic National Stockpile,
the CDC is engaged an aggressive training effort
including a week long in-residence “Stockpile
School” in Atlanta, regional abbreviated “SNS road
shows,” and on-line tutorials which are open to
interested parties. These programs are fully funded
by the CDC. Additionally, the CDC supports a
series of conferences, drills, and exercises at the
state level, which include planning conferences,
desktop (paper) exercises, and full-blown multi-
day SNS exercises, which provide vehicles
for familiarization, competencies, and process
improvement. Pharmacists should participate in
local efforts as well as get out to observe such
exercises in other cities, regions, or states when
the opportunity arises. Of particular value are the
lessons learned in the wake of an event or exercise.
15.3 Training and Participation
of the Pharmacy Staff in Community
Preparedness Efforts
The ASHP Statement on the Role of Health-System
Pharmacists in Emergency Preparedness, suggests
that hospital administrators, “Encourage and
enable pharmacy personnel employed by the insti-
tution to participate in local, state, regional, and
federal emergency preparedness planning and to
volunteer for community service in the event of
a disaster.” [3] Hospital pharmacy directors, like-
wise need to promote the involvement of staff
members at all levels (clerks, technicians, students,
pharmacists and managers) in their communi-
ties' public health emergency response planning,
disaster drills, and, when needed, actual events.
Although it is acknowledged that staff members
owe their primary allegiance to their employer
whenever the institution's disaster plan is activated,
there is considerable room and numerous scenarios
whereby staff members can effectively participate
in their community response without neglecting the
needs of their employer institutions.
When dealing with a crisis, we often do not
have the luxury of certainty of cause, effect, or
resolution [2]. Despite this characteristic lack of
definition, pharmacy management can enhance
the department's response to such events through
encouraging staff participation in the growing
number of public health emergency simulation
exercises being conducted across the country.
Institutional pharmacy practitioners need to be
“plugged-in” to the overall city, state, and regional
public health emergency response planning activ-
ities. Involvement vehicles include, but are not
limited to, city and state health departments, state
15.4 Conclusion
Considerable coordination of effort is required to
support effective preparation for, and response
to, a public health disaster. Critical factors to a
credible response of a public health emergency
include availability and distribution of pharmaceu-
ticals, as well as the availability and placement of
qualified personnel to facilitate such distribution.
The pharmacy community (institutional, retail,
academic and regulatory) are instrumental assets
to successful preparation and response.
References
1. Significant Terrorist Attacks Against the United
States and its Citizens 146-2001,
Center for
Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
http://www.
armscontrolcenter.org/terrorism/101/ timeline.html
2. W. P. Johnston, and P. L. Stepanovich. Managing in
a crisis: Planning, acting, and learning.
Am J Health-
Syst Pharm.
58:1245-1249, 2001.
3. ASHP Statement on the Role of Health-
System Pharmacists in Emergency Prepared-
ness,
Am Soc Health-Syst Pharm.
2003. http://
www.ashp.org/emergency/counter terrorism.cfm
