Are you ready for National Preparedness Month? This is just the first of several questions you should ask yourself this September.
Recognized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) throughout the month of September, National Preparedness Month is a time dedicated to reminding individuals and businesses to take action and prepare for emergencies.
All year DHS promotes emergency preparedness with its Ready America Campaign, which provides tools and information to plan for crisis situations.
Whether it’s a natural disaster or mass casualty event, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Ask yourself these four questions to see just how equipped your pharmacy is for an unexpected event.
Question 1: Do you have an emergency kit?
A crisis can strike at any time, so you must ensure your pharmacy is prepared with the right tools.
The DHS recommends readying a disaster supplies kit to have on hand in case of an emergency. A disaster supplies kits is a collection of basic items your business may need in the event of an emergency.
It’s crucial your business is stocked with essentials like water, food, safety supplies, battery-powered electronics and personal care items should you or your employees be working at the time a disaster occurs.
The DHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend supplying enough materials to last three days. Items that have the potential to expire, such as food, should be kept fresh. And, the kits should be stored in an easy-to-find location to be ready for use at any time.
Question 2: Are you involved?
Volunteering your pharmacy’s support during an emergency can greatly aid those in need of help. Should an emergency happen, you and your staff might be on call to fill prescriptions for patients in need. The DHS lists other opportunities your business can get involved in during times of need.
As an institution of health care, your independent community pharmacy should serve as an example to other businesses in the community. You can do this by promoting National Preparedness Month on your pharmacy’s website and social media accounts. The DHS supplies a social media toolkit your pharmacy can utilize to promote the national event. Tweet, post and share the hashtags, videos and other informational content the DHS provides throughout the month of September on your pharmacy’s social media.
Question 3: Do you have an emergency plan?
Developing a plan for emergencies is imperative for the protection and safety of both you and your employees throughout a crisis situation.
Ready Business, by the DHS, supports businesses in developing an emergency plan. Ready Business advises businesses to follow five simple steps when creating their plan for emergencies.
The five steps include:
1. Program management (identifying rules to follow during the situation)
2. Planning (collecting information about hazards and ways to prevent them)
3. Implementation (writing an official preparedness plan)
4. Testing and exercises (practicing the plan throughout trials and exercises)
5. Program improvement (reevaluating the plan regularly)
Question 4: Are you informed?
Preparing for emergencies can be as simple as following the media.
Be sure that your pharmacy has access to the news, radio and other broadcasting during times of emergency. The DHS and Ready America Campaign can help provide your business with local, state and national information and resources during crisis situations.
Use these 10 resources to prepare your pharmacy for a natural disaster.
