![]() opportunities to educate public health about how pharmacies plan and respond to emergencies and,.the ability to develop a distribution approach in advance.As pharmacies become more involved in providing immunizations to the public, an MOU also can help ensure that all pandemic vaccinators have appropriate access to vaccine, information, and supplies.Īn MOU's benefits to community pharmacies include: Pharmacies engage with people of all ages across the lifespan and are often a trusted source of information and assistance in communities. MOUs offer benefits to both public health agencies and pharmacies. Why should public health and pharmacies have MOUs? Often referred to as a "handshake agreement", MOUs are not legally binding but make it possible to plan for action ahead of time, rather than in the midst of an emergency. What is an MOU?Īn MOU is a memorandum of understanding that sets forth the terms between two or more parties. ![]() Improved coordination prior to and during a public health emergency also improves relationships, not only for public health emergencies, but also for routine public health delivery. Improved coordination reduces severity and ultimately saves lives by leveraging the strengths of all partners, including existing pharmaceutical and vaccine management, distribution, and administration infrastructures. ![]() MDH then works with partners to dispense the MCMs to the health care system and the public directly.Ĭoordination between public health programs and private sector pharmacies in planning and response is essential to expanding access to MCMs during a public health emergency. ASPR maintains a large cache of MCMs called the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which can be quickly mobilized for emergency distribution. In such an emergency, MDH can request large quantities of MCMs from the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Lives may depend on dispensing MCMs to a large number of people in a short amount of time. Medical countermeasures (MCMs) are medicines (e.g., antibiotics, antivirals, or antitoxins) that may be given in support of treatment or as prophylaxis (oral or vaccination) to the identified population in accordance with public health guidelines or recommendations. In emergencies such as terrorist attacks or pandemics, large numbers of people may be exposed to disease-causing germs. Pharmacy Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
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