Keywords

bioterrorism, disaster planning, emergency preparedness, National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, public health, Strategic National Stockpile

 

Authors

  1. May, Larissa MD
  2. Cote, Timothy MD, MPH
  3. Hardeman, Bernard BSN, MPH, RN
  4. Gonzalez, Gabriela R. MD
  5. Adams, Sherry B. RN
  6. Blair, Roderick K.
  7. Pane, Gregg MD

Abstract

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is a national repository of pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies forseeably needed during a medical disaster. In the event of SNS deployment, state and local public health authorities must be prepared to receive, distribute, and dispense the materials. We propose a cache of supplies, termed the "POD go-kit," prepared in advance and locally available prior to the establishment of Points of Dispensing (POD) for SNS material. Characteristics of the preassembled go-kit are its multiplicity of use, ease of storage and transportation, minimal redundancy with SNS material, and packaging in a manner consistent with POD function. The POD go-kit is assembled into 4 separate "subkits": administrative supplies, patient routing supplies, dispensing supplies, and POD staff protection supplies. Incorporating existing practices from the SNS Listserv, this article itemizes the contents of the POD go-kit and its subkits and provides a rationale for its packaging. The Division of Strategic National Stockpile (DSNS) has not certified the proposed "POD go-kit" as a standardized POD go-kit.