Erin Mullen
Dr. Erin Mullen is the Director of the Rx Response program. She is a pharmacist, emergency manager, and disaster responder.
Last Wednesday I attended the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association meeting. I did so to support a pending resolution encouraging state government working with Rx Response and other private coalitions to better plan for and respond to disasters. It was humbling to be in the presence of so many dedicated public servants, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share information on how strong our nation’s bio-pharmaceutical supply system is.
As recent events such as Hurricane Sandy and the Moore, OK Tornadoes show, the pharmaceutical supply system is resilient. However, for a true whole-of-community recovery to occur there needs to be better understanding between the healthcare sector, including bio-pharmaceutical / medical supply, and government response agencies. What are the capabilities? What are the limitations of what we can do for each other in the face of a disaster?
That’s one of the ways Rx Response can help. We have developed a State Emergency Interaction document that is a resource guide on how industry or government organizations can contact us, and how we can work together with one very important goal in mind: helping make sure that patients can access the medications they need in the face of a disaster.
In the light of the growing awareness of the Lieutenant Governors of our states and territories about the importance of pharmaceutical supply chain continuity, I encourage anyone in those state administrations who would like to know more about the bio-pharmaceutical supply system and how we can be partners in US domestic disasters, reach out to us at Rx Response at ContactUs@rxresponse.org. We will be happy to talk about how we can partner – in all phases of emergency management, for all hazards.
Update 7/22/2013: The NLGA has passed the Resolution in Support of the Rx Response Initiative. We at Rx Response would like to thank the resolution co-sponsors, Lt. Governors Jay Dardenne, Louisiana (R) and Elizabeth Roberts, Rhode Island (D) and the NLGA for this show of support for public-private partnerships in disaster planning and response.