Earthquake in central Italy: the work of pharmacists on the disaster sites

The medical studies will be housed in tents placed close to the area where the homeless are housed. Many generalists, however, have the problem of recovering their patients' medical records: the computers have remained under the rubble.

Federfarma – 26/08/2016

Pharmacists already at work since yesterday morning in the municipalities affected by the earthquake, where medicines and basic necessities are brought in by taking advantage of every means. And where the mobile pharmacies of the Civil Protection Volunteer Pharmacists have begun to arrive. The first to arrive at the disaster site, in particular, was the camper which left Wednesday evening from Verona, with a team of seven trained pharmacists and a large supply of medicines and self-analysis equipment, made available free of charge by Unifarm. The vehicle has been operational since yesterday morning in Arquata del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli, where, however, the village pharmacy, hit only slightly by the earthquake, has never closed. Also in Arquata, a truck loaded with drugs donated by Farmacentro and So.Farma.Morra arrived yesterday: mainly eye drops, disinfectants and medication products, supplements and painkillers, to be distributed not only to earthquake victims but also to rescue teams digging through the rubble. "Here eye drops are consumed in torrents" the president of Federfarma Marche, Pasquale D'Avella, who yesterday visited the disaster sites told Filodiretto, "they are used by volunteers to cleanse their eyes of all the dust that is around".

Today, however, a second camper should arrive in the affected areas of the Rieti area, where instead there has been no pharmaceutical service for a couple of days: the two pharmacies in Amatrice were destroyed in the earthquake, the one in Accumoli was declared unusable yesterday morning by the fire brigade. «We were expecting two campers» explains the president of Federfarma Rieti, Pierluigi Cortellini, yesterday visiting Amatrice just when a strong aftershock was felt «that's also fine because in the meantime we have organized ourselves: the medicines are distributed by the pharmacists of the two countries in gymnasiums and other makeshift accommodations, then the containers will arrive». Meanwhile, we are working hard to restore the health services of the area. «In Amatrice» continues Cortellini «the medical studies will be housed in tents located close to the area where the homeless are housed. Many generalists, however, have the problem of recovering their patients' medical records: the computers have remained under the rubble. It is already also starting to evaluate the location of the Farmacentro containers: they will be divided between the two countries, with the owners taking turns in shifts thanks also to the support of a couple of Army pharmacists ».

Past experience, then, helps to assess priorities: "Be careful not to send medicines too much to the affected populations, especially in these early days" warns the president of Sunifar, Alfredo Orlandi, on the basis of what he experienced at the time of the Abruzzo earthquake "there is the risk of putting the logistics system in crisis . And then, not only medicines are needed: the elderly, for example, will need glasses, adhesive pastes, creams and more ». The same considerations also from Cortellini: "We are organizing ourselves to have all the aid and donations channeled to Federfarma and to the pharmacies" he confirms "so that the pharmacists on the spot will then sort them according to needs". And now word of mouth.

(AS – Federfarma)

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