How should patients' prescription needs be handled in the event of a disaster?

Utilizing other Walgreens stores or contacting the Specialty Support Center is the most effective approach to handling patients' prescription needs during a disaster. This strategy ensures continuity of care, as it allows for immediate resource sharing and assistance among different locations, which can alleviate the burden on any single store that may be overwhelmed or unable to operate efficiently due to the disaster.

By connecting with the Specialty Support Center, pharmacy teams can access additional resources, obtain information about available medications, and receive guidance on the best courses of action for managing prescriptions under these challenging circumstances. This proactive and collaborative approach helps to ensure that patients continue to receive their necessary medications safely and efficiently.

In contrast, redirecting patients to a different company's pharmacy may not guarantee that their specific prescriptions can be filled reliably or that the new pharmacy will have access to the necessary prescription records. Contacting the hospital pharmacy could provide support; however, hospital pharmacies typically focus on inpatient care and may not manage outpatient prescriptions effectively in a disaster scenario. Asking patients to wait until normal operations resume does not prioritize their immediate healthcare needs and could lead to adverse health outcomes for those requiring timely medication.