IG3 – The role of the hospital pharmacist in disaster management – Are we prepared?

Linked to EAHP Statements

Section 1 – Introductory Statements and Governance: Statements 1.5
Section 2 – Selection, Procurement and Distribution: 2.5; 2.6
Section 5 – Patient Safety and Quality Assurance: 5.6; 5.9

ACPE UAN: 0475-0000-22-006-L04-P. A knowledge-based activity.

Abstract

Emergency and disaster pharmacy serves to ensure the best possible pharmaceutical care for the population during major incidents and disasters, as well as in other exceptional situations. With all the expertise of pharmacists, emergency and disaster pharmacy plays a fundamental role in medical care. All over the world, pharmacists experienced disasters such as train accidents, earthquakes, flooding or other natural disasters, where hospitals were suddenly faced with large numbers of patients in these events of a mass casualty. Besides, hospital pharmacists have to be prepared for the treatment of patients in NBC emergencies (nuclear, biological or chemical hazards).

Competency of hospital pharmacists to dispense drugs and guarantee safe medication under normal conditions does not necessarily mean that they will be equally proficient in “mass dispensing” or other forms of medication supply that occur during emergencies, where existing supply chains are disrupted, information is limited, and key infrastructure may be compromised.

The preparedness for various sorts of emergencies justifies different concepts and several specific ranges of medicinal products to care for patients who suffered either severe injuries or harms from NBC emergencies.

The hospital pharmacists should be able to provide concepts and quality standards for the supply of medicines and medical supplies not only for their hospital, but also for rescue services. The main tasks usually are emergency drug supply and participation to crisis management at hospital level. Besides, the manufacturing capacity of a hospital pharmacy may play an important role. The support in the hospital emergency preparedness is vital. Many hospital pharmacies already have a disaster plan ready-to-go – but will it cover all aspects of the catastrophe we may face?

Learning objectives
After the session, participants should be able to:

• Outline specialized knowledge on drugs and medical devices used in emergency and disaster
• Identify the scope of activity in order to realize an emergency plan for their hospital pharmacy
• Analyze complex pharmaceutical issues within unfamiliar contexts of emergencies

Educational need addressed
Hospital pharmacists need to know the different therapies and drugs for the treatment of patients in the events of mass casualties and as well for NBC emergencies. They should organize their pharmacy to support the hospital in being optimally prepared for emergency situations.

Keywords: Disaster, crisis management, emergency drug supply.