Table 2.

Pharmacy Disaster Planning Checklist

Need	Recommendation
Adequate stock of PPE: gowns, N95 masks, hair covers, shoe covers, facial shields	Maintain sufficient inventory (minimum 4-week supply) to meet demand, taking patient surge into consideration. Refer to CDC and ASHP for additional guidance.5,6
Adequate stock of critical medications: narcotics, paralytics, sedatives, other COVID-19–related medications	Maintain sufficient inventory (minimum 4-week supply) to meet demand, taking patient surge into consideration. Refer to ASHP’s assessment tool for additional guidance.6   Order medications on shortage directly from manufacturers, including controlled substances, if unavailable from wholesalers. Set up CSOS procedures with manufacturers, in case of shortage.
Adequate supply of pumps, ventilators, tubing	Maintain sufficient inventory to meet demand, taking patient surge into consideration. For pump shortage, utilize oral, intramuscular, intravenous push route when possible. Purchase additional PCA pumps that can be converted to regular infusion pumps if needed.
Protocol for social distancing	Maintain at least 6 feet distancing between individuals by moving desks, chairs, and workspaces and/or using plastic barriers. Redistribute workload and personnel from day shifts to evening/night shifts.
Prompt identification of sick employees	Daily self-monitoring of temperatures and electronic verification of this practice. Ensure sick workers are quarantined. Provide remote work access, if possible, to quarantined employees with mild symptoms.
Human resource planning	Utilize available human resources, including ambulatory staff, residents, per diem employees, and agency workers. Cross-train employees.
Ongoing infection control	Train staff, perform spot checks to assess proper handwashing techniques and equipment cleaning.
Plan for patient surge	Identify potential surge locations. Obtain additional supply or relocate existing supply of ADMs, medical supplies, and refrigerators to new patient care areas from closed areas, such as elective procedure locations, and outpatient clinics. Ensure each new patient care area has approximately 1 refrigerator and 1 dispensing cabinet per additional 15–25 beds.
Emergency planning	Revise emergency preparedness policies and procedures to include COVID-19.

Abbreviations: ADM, automated dispensing machine; ASHP, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; CSOS, Controlled Substance Ordering System; PCA, patient-controlled analgesia; PPE, personal protective equipment.