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Every year at the beginning of hurricane season healthcare workers encourage people to prepare for an emergency. In the U.S. the entire month of September is dedicated to preparing for emergencies and educating the public.
And yet, during every emergency there are people who are unprepared.
If you take medicaitons, you need to have a plan for this as well. During an emergency you may not have access to a medical facility or a drug store.
Gathering items from around the home like food, water, flashlights, and batteries does not escape people. Most people have this down now and can typically stay at home without assistance for 24 hours, maybe 48 hours.
For example, if you are asked to leave your home and drive 4 hours away to avoid danger but you forget one pill bottle, you need to KNOW the medication and dose you currently take. If you have to stay in a shelter and run out of your prescriptions and need a refill, a local physician may have write a new one for you. Say you keep your medication in one of those weekly pill boxes so you can tell when you have taken it. That’s great but when you run out do you KNOW the medication name and dosage you were taking and the REASON you were taking that medication?
It is difficult to squirrel away a two-week supply of medication to have on hand in case of an emergency. You should be taking your medication not skipping doses to create a supply. Here is what you can do:
- Keep your medication together so that you can easily grab it if you have to evacuate.
- Have a list of all medications and dosages somewhere that is easy to access even if you are away from home.
- Know if your pharmacy has an electronic system where you can transfer your prescription and have it refilled if you are out town.
