Drug Topics - November 10, 2008 - (Page 24)

FIRST RESPONDERS sistance to maintain refrigeration. And Rx Response gave updates to state emergency centers, American Red Cross centers, and public health departments about locations of open pharmacies so patients in those areas could be informed. “Pharmacies have been recognized as a priority for business restoration in an impacted area,” Mullen said. “If the pharmacies aren’t open, then the community’s not quite ready to re-establish itself.” In the case of Hurricane Gustav, Rx Response ofﬁcials held numerous conference calls with its members, monitoring developments as the storm unfolded. These calls led to reports detailing locations of open pharmacies in Louisiana’s evacuated areas, giving Louisiana public health ofﬁcials essential information as they considered whether to Craig Steinberg, PharmD, does not have to accept a mission, but he rarely refuses one. permit homeowners to return to affected areas. before the hurricanes hit, and a new one hadn’t been hired At the request of Louisiana public health ofﬁcials, Mullen yet. So Pryor was alone and swamped. Then Hurricane Ike was deployed to Louisiana to serve as the liaison between hit the hospital’s headquarters and her IT department and the state’s emergency operations center and Rx Response. server went down. “I had to make a makeshift system, go Rx Response also was in direct contact with several federal back to manual and keep charts, and record everything agencies, including the Critical Infrastructure and Key Rewhen the server came back.” source Protection Program of the Department of Homeland She added, “I stayed in the Security (DHS), the DHS Private Sector Ofﬁce, and the Critipharmacy every day for six cal Infrastructure Program of the Department of Health and days straight for about 11 to 12 Human Services (HHS). hours, trying to keep the meds “Pharmacists can rest assured and know that we’re there going out.” The situation proved working for them,” Mullen said. how vital a fallback system is to a hospital’s pharmacy, she said. Hospital pharmacist Laura Pryor, RPh, pharmacy manager at Dubuis Hospital of Corporate contributors Lake Charles, La., wasn’t expecting to be deeply involved Pharmacies donated money and in hurricane relief efforts, especially after her hospital goods to help the hurricane rewas evacuated to a sister facility when Hurricane Gustav lief efforts. Among the donors threatened the area. But she was Rite Aid, which contributquickly undertook her own ed $75,000 to Gustav relief efeffort to safeguard patients “Pharmacists can needing medications from forts through the American Red Steinberg helped with Hurricane Gustav. Cross. “Our hearts go out to the rest assured and her hospital pharmacy. victims, families, and communiknow that we’re “We had been cleaning ties affected by Hurricane Gustav. I am also very appreciative working for them. and getting ready to reopen of all our pharmacists and other associates that worked so ” — and then Ike came along,” hard to keep our stores open and will be reopening stores –Erin Mullen, Rx Response Pryor said. Her hospital was as soon as that can be done safely,” said Mary Sammons, spared, but 21 patients from Rite Aid chairman, president, and CEO. the Texas branch of the DuRite Aid also donated supplies worth $37,000, includbuis system had to be evacuing water, snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and other perated to the branch in Lake sonal hygiene products, for distribution at evacuee shelters Charles. at the request of the Louisiana Capital Area Chapter of the The pharmacy’s techniAmerican Red Cross. “One of Rite Aid’s core values is to be cian had resigned the week caring neighbors in the communities we serve,” said Mike 24 DRUG TOPICS N OV. 10, 2008 W W W.D R U GTO P I C S .C O M MAX DOLBERG http://WWW.DRUGTOPICS.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - November 10, 2008

Drug Topics - November 10, 2008 Contents Up Front Up Front in Depth Letters Rx Care Government Community Practice First Responders Clinical Practice Self-Care FDA Safety Page Weighing the Complications of Obesity New Products Viewpoint

Drug Topics - November 10, 2008

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