Citation

Henkel PJ, Marvanova M. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-6.

Affiliation

Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, North Dakota State University,Fargo,North Dakota.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2019.57

PMID

31370915

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjectives:The aim of this study was to investigate the basic preparedness of rural community pharmacies to continue operations during and immediately following a disaster.

METHODS: In 2014, we conducted a telephone survey (N = 990) of community pharmacies in 3 rural areas: North Dakota/South Dakota, West Virginia, Southern Oregon/Northern California regarding whether they had a formal disaster/continuity plan, offsite data backup, emergency power generation, and/or had a certified pharmacy immunizer on staff. Logistic regression and chi square were performed using Stata 11.1.

FINDINGS: Community pharmacies in rural areas (≤50.0 persons/mile2) were less likely to have emergency power (odds ratio [OR] = 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32-1.07) or certified pharmacy immunizer on staff (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.34-0.64). Pharmacies in lower income areas were less likely to have emergency power and offsite data backup or a formal disaster plan (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.49-0.99) compared with pharmacies in higher income areas. Community pharmacies in areas of higher percent elderly population were less likely to have emergency power (OR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.39-0.73), or certified pharmacy immunizer on staff (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47-0.91) compared with chain pharmacies in areas with lower percent elderly population.

CONCLUSIONS: Being in a rural, low-income, or high-elderly area was associated with lower likelihood of basic preparedness of community pharmacies.

Language: en

Keywords

community pharmacy; disaster preparedness; health care disparity; rural communities; socioeconomic factors