Erin Mullen on Rx Response

Rx Response is composed of members that span the bio-pharmaceutical supply chain, and so any kind of public health emergency probably will involve most, if not all, of the components of that supply chain. In the case of emerging infectious disease, there are biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers doing the research and testing for innovative new treatments and vaccines, and producing the approved products that are used for current treatment or prevention; distributors ensuring the efficient storage, delivery, and inventory management of those products; and pharmacies and other healthcare facilities providing the clinical administration and dispensing of medicines and biologics. All of these components must be functioning in order to ensure that patients maintain access to care. In the case of recent concern about Ebola, concomitant with the extremely low risk of exposure in the US, the role of the community pharmacist as an educated, trusted healthcare resource comes to the forefront. As there is no vaccine or antiviral treatment, the pharmacist has a response role that includes arming the public with accurate information, warning of counterfeit claims of Ebola “cures”, and explaining the true risk of exposure while, perhaps, recommending interventions to prevent diseases that are far more likely. But the clinical care that a pharmacist provides requires a lot more than just the front-line pharmacist doing the research that is necessary to become an advisor on the ...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news