RxResponse Helps Sandy Victims Find Open Pharmacies

Recovering from Sandy but in need of vital medication? RxResponse is here to help.

In the wake of disasters such as hurricane Sandy, patients can find out online if their pharmacy is open and accessible by using RxResponse.

Rx Response helps get critical medicines to patients whose health is threatened by a severe public health emergency, such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or pandemic, by sharing information and problem-solving for a coalition of bio-pharmaceutical supply chain organizations, disaster relief agencies and local, state and federal government agencies.

RxResponse mapGreen dots are open pharmacies, white are not reporting, and red have problems.
The green beds are open Red Cross Centers.

Recovering from Sandy but in need of vital medication? RxResponse is here to help.

In the wake of disasters such as hurricane Sandy, patients can find out online if their pharmacy is open and accessible by using RxResponse.

Rx Response helps get critical medicines to patients whose health is threatened by a severe public health emergency, such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or pandemic, by sharing information and problem-solving for a coalition of bio-pharmaceutical supply chain organizations, disaster relief agencies and local, state and federal government agencies.

Rx Response members continually monitor news media across the United States to identify potential or realized threats to public health to engage Rx Response as soon as possible. It shares critical information using the Pharmacy Status Reporting Tool, which enables those in affected areas to determine the closest open pharmacy in a specific location during a public health emergency.

RxReponse has been activated in response to Hurricane Sandy in the District of Columbia and 11 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. If you left medication behind when evacuating, or have run out of vital medications you need, the RxResponse can help you find open pharmacies you can trust.

The RxResponse website offers detailed mapping information showing open pharmacy locations and contact information. Its Twitter feed provides status updates and information about the program.

RxResponse encourages patients to printout a wallet card that will list their vital medical information and the medications they take. The card should include the medicines you take regularly and any medication allergies. RxResponse recommends storing a hard copy in a safe place, sending a copy to a trusted friend outside your geographic area for use as a reference should the need arise, and putting a copy in your wallet.

Pre-printed wallet cards can be printed and filled out from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and from many state agencies, such as the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Pharmacists working in areas affected by Sandy can register with RxResponse to let customers know if they are operational and open. RxResponse  can also be reached via the contact link at the bottom of their active pharmacies map page or through their infocenter portal.

Patients who chose to purchase medication online should be sure to check out our guide: Save Money Safely on Your Prescriptions From Online Pharmacies.  Whether you buy your prescriptions in person or online, RxResponse and VIPPS are there to help you buy prescriptions safely in a time of crisis.

RxResponse is a partnership of private and public sectors organizations, including The American Red Cross, PhRMA, The National Community Pharmacists Association, the American Hospital Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Healthcare Distribution Management Association, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and the Biotechnology Industry Association.