Tuesday, 18 March 2025 12:00 PM
Company Update
WATKINSVILLE, GA / ACCESS Newswire / March 18, 2025 / PharmD helped ensure all patients received needed medications-and pharmacy staff got the counsel and relief they needed
When Hurricane Helene hit the Southeast in late September 2024, it didn't hold back. In the aftermath, rural hospitals worked heroically to manage hundreds of moving parts as best they could. But the overwhelm for many of these small, independent facilities was beyond significant. Rural hospitals leaned on the support of their communities, vendors, and creative solutions to continue caring for patients without disruption.
Preparing, To Keep Focus on Patients
PharmD on Demand has deep experience supporting rural hospitals and clinics and understood prior to the impending storm what their clients would potentially face: everything from a flood of patients rushing to the ER to loss of power and Internet connectivity, potential drug shortages and more. They also didn't lose sight of the fact that staff would more than likely have issues with their homes and families that they would need to attend to as well.
Leveraging this knowledge, PharmD kept their primary focus on helping each pharmacy team prepare as much as possible before the storm hit, so they could navigate the aftermath to ensure there was no disruption to patient care. Preparing personnel to make last minute staffing changes, implementing operational procedures for power and internet outages, and proactive purchasing were just a few of the ways they helped their pharmacies prepare for the storm.
By preparing in this way, both PharmD and their clients felt confident they would be able to navigate any drug supply issues that might arise, and be able work together so pharmacy and hospital staff could stay as focused as possible on patient care through this challenging time.
Offering Real-Time Support
Davey Legendre, VP of Pharmacy Management for PharmD on Demand, explains the different ways PharmD worked with its hospital and retail pharmacy partners post-Helene, to get them what they needed, when they needed it-and helped ensure that no lack of drugs or fluids ever reached the patient level.
"One way we helped was by connecting our pharmacists with clinical experts so they could discuss in real-time the best way to manage a critical shortage," he explains. "For example, if there was a critical fluid shortage, we could offer strategies to help them preserve fluids. Or, our pharmacists might recommend another product for some patients, such as a tablet, that could replace the need to use a fluid and allow the pharmacy to preserve their fluid products for a more critical patient need."
Getting Products Where They're Needed Most
Another way PharmD supported clients and proactively helped them avert any drug supply issues was by tracking within its network which hospitals had a surplus of certain drugs and, conversely, where others had reported a shortage of the same drugs. In doing so, they could arrange for medications to be transferred to where they were needed.
In some cases, PharmD staff was able to do "double duty," as well-both physically go to a pharmacy to help, and at the same time, bring along needed medications with them, all the while maintaining compliance.
Easing Staff Burden
A third key way PharmD served after the storm was to help ease personnel-related stress and burden.
"We have a robust group of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are available to float to several facilities, so they can work wherever they are needed," explains Legendre. "For instance, if a staff pharmacist was personally impacted by the storm, we could step in so that person could go home and deal with the problem, or get some much needed rest."
Relief Knowing Pharmacy Was in Good Hands
With PharmD's help, all PharmD hospital or clinic clients were able to get their patients the medications they needed in the critical hours and days after Helene.
Legendre says knowing they were able to help in this way was rewarding for the PharmD team. But, just as importantly, he says, the feedback they got from clients was meaningful and valued.
"Many clients reached out and thanked us not only for providing pharmacy-related services, but for being a strong, trusted presence during this difficult time," he says. "They had so many things to worry about, but pharmacy was not one of them. It was profoundly rewarding for our team to hear this from our clients and to know that our assistance helped them focus clinical care and what matters most: their patients."
About PharmD on Demand
PharmD on Demand, a division of Aletheia Health Partners, is committed to empowering rural hospitals with pharmacy services and innovative solutions designed to optimize resources and enhance patient care. Learn more at https://pharmdondemand.com.
CONTACT:
706.389.9500
[email protected]
SOURCE: PharmD on Demand