Medical countermeasures (MCMs) are critical for minimizing morbidity and mortality in the event of a large-scale public health emergency. MCMs involve a broad spectrum of medical assets, including biological products and personal protective equipment. Whether the emergency results from a chemical, biological, radiological, or natural disaster or from widespread infectious disease and contagions, a well-prepared public health community will readily access and deploy lifesaving MCMs. Ensuring appropriate distribution and dispensing of MCMs can be logistically complex, but coordinated planning between local, state, and federal agencies facilitates an efficient public health response.
The federal government can deliver MCM assets to a state-designated site, if requested by state and territorial partners, within 12 hours through the Strategic National Stockpile. The Strategic National Stockpile is a cache of pharmaceuticals and ancillary medical supplies that the federal government maintains to protect the American public in the event that local supplies cannot meet the immediate needs of an emergency response. However, ensuring that these MCMs reach those who need them requires the execution of a complex and interrelated set of public health actions and tasks involving supply chain management and logistics for moving Strategic National Stockpile materiel to the point of use within a jurisdiction. Detailed distribution and dispensing, planning, drills, and exercises with state, local, and territorial health departments is critical, as no single approach is suitable for all circumstances, populations, or geographical regions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) administers the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement to bolster national public health capacity to respond to a range of public health threats, including those that require MCMs. All 50 states, four large cities (Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY), eight territories, and freely associated states are required to be prepared for large-scale population delivery of MCMs for prevention, protection, and treatment during a pandemic (e.g., influenza) or an emergency resulting from intentional exposure to threat agents (e.g., Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax). The CDC collaboratively supports PHEP recipients by providing technical assistance and expertise throughout all stages of the planning, exercises, and training related to this important MCM mission.
Public health is just one component of the overarching health care system needed to support a large-scale response. Integration of processes between public and private entities that contribute to the well-being of the population is therefore critical. Health care coalitions play a key role as well in supporting a large-scale public health emergency that requires MCMs distribution and dispensing. Health care coalitions are uniquely constituted to understand and meet the medical needs of the local communities—especially health care coalitions focused on supporting populations with particular needs, such as dependence on medical devices. Public health and health care coalitions must collaborate before and during a response to ensure that MCMs are successfully provided to minimize harm and maximize health for all affected individuals in the population.
The articles in this issue of AJPH highlight best practices and innovation in the provision of MCMs for a large-scale public health emergency. Articles cover a range of MCM topics that include drills and exercises, mass vaccinations and pandemic considerations, and practical applications for points of dispensing and just-in-time training. We hope the supplement will promote discussion and continued focus on this critical aspect of securing the well-being of our nation’s public health.
1 Year Ago
Mass Dispensing of Medical Countermeasures
Delays in MCM processing increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Continued planning to efficiently distribute and dispense life-saving medical assets and countermeasures to an affected community following a public health disaster is critical to decreasing that risk. . . . Despite challenges, effective and timely medical assets and countermeasure distribution and dispensing is possible with appropriate planning, staff, and resources. . . . Future evaluation of medical asset attainment should focus on operational implementation of established planning practices.
From AJPH, Suppl 2, 2017, pp. S203–S206
11 Years Ago
Conceptualizing and Defining Public Health Emergency Preparedness
[P]ublic health emergency preparedness (PHEP) is the capability of the public health and health care systems, communities, and individuals, to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from health emergencies, particularly those whose scale, timing, or unpredictability threatens to overwhelm routine capabilities. . . . PHEP is not a steady state; it requires continuous improvement, including frequent testing of plans through drills and exercises and the formulation and execution of corrective action plans. . . . As much as possible, PHEP should be integrated with and expand upon day-to-day public health practices and build upon existing systems, not developed de novo. . . . Justice, accountability, transparency, and public engagement are essential in all aspects of PHEP.
From AJPH, Suppl 1, 2007, pp. S9–S11
Biography
