In times of a healthcare crisis or a natural disaster, access to pharmacies and prescription drugs becomes more crucial than ever before.

Communication during emergency situations is critical to a successful response, especially for pharmacies to ensure the timely delivery of potentially lifesaving drugs.

Ensuring pharmacies are kept in the communication and coordination loop of Emergency Activation is vital to their continued operation, including maintaining power especially for refrigerated drugs.

Many times, during emergencies, an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is activated to ensure patients are able to obtain their medication.

The FDA can use its Emergency Use Authorization authority under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) to allow the use of unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products, to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases when certain criteria are met, including that there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.

Healthcare Ready’s Rx Open, formerly called the Pharmacy Status Reporting Tool, helps patients get access to medicine in an emergency by mapping the location of open and closed pharmacies in a disaster-stricken area at Rx Open and Healthcare Ready. Rx Open also shows open American Red Cross shelters.

Rx Open was born out of a partnership with Healthcare Ready and the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP), as well as eRx Network (an Emdeon company).