A Prescription For Disaster

#14,272

Although I've mentioned it before (see here), 14 years ago - five weeks after Katrina devastated New Orleans - I was there with my brother, trying to retrieve what little we could from his ground floor French Quarter apartment. 

Also on his list was getting refills on a prescription from his local pharmacy. But weeks after the storm, the power was still out across the city, his Mom & Pop pharmacy was still shuttered and vacant, and his doctor had not returned to the city.

Like so many other displaced persons from Katrina, he not only lost everything, he was faced with having to find a new doctor in a strange town, just to get a prescription filled.

For him, it was an inconvenience, but for those with more pressing medical needs, it could have had much more serious implications. 

The AMA, FEMA, and others (including this blog) have long extolled the virtues of keeping a `disaster stash' of essential prescription medicines; enough for at least 2 weeks.

From  FEMA's Special Needs Require Special Preparation

“Disaster preparedness is not a ‘one size fits all’ concept,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech. “People with special needs may require special attention and preparation. Everyone needs to get a kit, make a plan and be informed.”

Considerations for people responsible for disabled individuals:

• For those on respirators or other electric-powered medical equipment, make prior arrangements with your physician or check with your oxygen supplier about emergency plans, and be sure to have electrical back-up for any medical equipment.
• Maintain a two-week supply of items such as dressings, nasal cannulas and suction catheters.
• Maintain a two-week supply of both prescription and non-prescription medications.
• Keep copies of your medical records.
• Keep copies of prescriptions for medical equipment, supplies and medications.
• Keep extra contact lenses and supplies, extra eyeglasses and extra batteries for hearing aids.
• Make plans now to have accessible transportation in case of evacuation.
• Shelters may be limited in accommodations to meet some of the needs of those with disabilities. Prepare ahead of time to ensure you will have what you need.

Luckily, since Hurricane Katrina, some changes have been made that allow people living in an expected impact area to obtain an emergency supply of medications before the storm arrives.

From the Governor's Emergency Declaration (Executive Order Number 19-189) signed on Wednesday afternoon.

G. In accordance with section 465.0275, Florida Statutes, pharmacists may dispense up to a 30-day emergency prescription refill of maintenance medication to persons who reside in an area or county covered under this Executive Order and to emergency personnel who have been activated by their state and local agency but who do not reside in an area or county covered by this Executive Order.

I've just come from my local pharmacy, where I ordered refills on my meds, and will pick them up tomorrow. My pharmacist offered this advice:  

Do it now.  By Monday, it may be too late - or at the least - very difficult to get your prescriptions filled.

For the uninsured, after a Federal Disaster Declaration (which hasn't happened with Dorian yet), a federal program called EPAP will go into action.  If you think you may qualify, you ought to visit the EPAP website while the power and internet are still up, to find out how to apply.

The Emergency Prescription Assistance Program

The Emergency Prescription Assistance Program, or EPAP, helps people in a federally-identified disaster area who do not have health insurance get the prescription drugs, vaccinations, medical supplies, and equipment that they need. This program helps people and communities better cope with a disaster and reduces stress on the healthcare system.

People who are eligible for EPAP can file a claim at more than 72,000 retail pharmacies across the United States and its territories for prescription items that were lost, stolen, or destroyed because of a disaster.

EPAP is only available when it is activated.

EPAP helps people affected by a disaster who do not have health insurance. The program provides access to:

Nearly 50 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug, and nearly a quarter take three or more. Many of these people rely on their medications to control chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, manage depression, and control pain. When a disaster strikes, medications can get lost or damaged, putting people’s health and well-being at risk and straining local healthcare systems.

Eligible people can receive a free 30-day supply of their medications when EPAP is activated. Prescriptions can be renewed under EPAP for free every 30 days for as long as EPAP is active. People can also use the program to receive vaccinations or to replace certain medical supplies or some forms of medical equipment that were lost or damaged because of the emergency or while evacuating. EPAP only covers items prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider.

EPAP is authorized in Sections 403 and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 USC 5170b and 5192(a) or under the authorities of the National Disaster Medical System to provide emergency medical care to individuals affected by public health emergencies and catastrophic events that overwhelm the response capacity of state and local emergency medical systems.

Those who are dependent upon home oxygen, IVs, or other lifesaving medical equipment should contact their suppliers for more information, or plan to evacuate to a special needs shelter or somewhere outside of the impact area.

While the future impact of Dorian remains unknown, it has the potential to cause severe disruptions across a wide area of the state for days, if not weeks.

Anything you can do now to make your life easier during and after the storm, may well pay major dividends in the weeks to come.