Regional disaster planning for hospital pharmacies.

ABSTRACT

The development of a disaster plan for hospital pharmacy services in Hartford, CT, is described. In June 1978, directors of pharmacy from 12 hospitals in the Hartford, CT, area began a project designed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of drugs and an adequate supply of pharmacy personnel during and after any natural disaster. The project initially involved standardization of components of the individual hospital pharmacies' disaster plans. A questionnaire was then completed by each director of pharmacy regarding hours of operation, telephone numbers, and pharmaceutical products usually stocked (including blood derivatives, radiologic-contrast media, and intravenous solutions). Information on inventory levels was collected later. Pharmaceutical manufactures and wholesalers in the region were contracted, and a list of routine and emergency telephone numbers was compiled. The disaster plan was completed in July 1979. The plan has been tested in a mock catastrophe drill and one natural disaster that caused relatively few injuries.