Healthcare Ready’s Response to Hurricane Laura

Hurricane Laura

Since making landfall late Wednesday, August 26th, Hurricane Laura has caused considerable damage and displaced thousands. Healthcare Ready is activated and working closely with partners to respond.

Our Role

During a hurricane activation, Healthcare Ready coordinates closely with the public and private sector. We monitor evacuation orders, emergency declarations, road conditions, and the changing needs of healthcare facilities. Some of the ways we support partners include:

  • PPE and medical supplies – We are connected with partners who can support PPE and supply needs.
  • Federal coordination- We are in close contact and coordination with HHS’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Division and track critical healthcare infrastructure impacts and route requests for assistance/information. 
  • Patient groups- We coordinate with partners from patient response groups to track needs of vulnerable patient populations, including dialysis and diabetic patients. 
  • Supply chain- We work with manufacturers, distributers, and federal and state agencies to help minimize and prevent potential interruptions to the healthcare supply chain.
  • Tips and resources- We have tip sheets for how to prepare for and weather all kinds of disasters, including hurricanes. Additional tools and helpful information are available in our resource center

Rx Refill Guidance

Rx Open, our pharmacy status map, is activated for all US states and territories. Currently the map is being updated once daily, but we may increase the frequency of updates to twice daily if conditions require more frequent updates.

If you are affected by pharmacy closures or evacuations, our tool Rx on the Run can help. Enter your information for a personalized wallet-sized card with your prescriptions, or save right to your phone. 

Currently, the State of Emergency in Louisiana allows pharmacists to dispense a one-time emergency prescription of up to a 30-day supply of a prescribed medication, even if it has been less than 30 days since the last refill. Similarly, the Texas Pharmacy Act allows a pharmacist to dispense up to a 30-day supply of a prescription drug, other than a Schedule II controlled substance.  

Hurricane Laura and COVID-19

Hurricane response, like everything else, must be adapted to address COVID-19. Healthcare Ready remains activated for the pandemic and continues work with partners to address the ongoing health concern. Whether evacuating or sheltering in place during a hurricane, it is important to remember to follow social distancing, masks, hand washing, and other COVID-19 guidelines.

After the Storm

Healthcare Ready’s work does not end when Hurricane Laura does. We will continue to monitor aftereffects and support with recovery. To see how we have supported hurricane recovery previously, see our Response Summaries from past years.   

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