Pharmacists' Self-Assessments regarding Emergency Preparedness Activities in Kansas

Abstract

Background: In an emergency, the pharmacists' role lies in obtaining access to pharmaceuticals and other crucial supplies necessary to ensure that injured or ailing people are treated quickly and effectively. Objective: To assess pharmacist reactions regarding the emergency preparedness program, “Can it Happen in Kansas: Response to Terrorism and Emerging Infections,” before and after training. Methods: A terrorism preparedness questionnaire was developed to self-assess changes in participants' confidence. These were measured before, immediately after, and 3 and 10 months after training. Results: At pretest, pharmacists reported feeling more alert to agroterrorist attacks in Kansas, better able to describe their roles in incident response, more alert to symptoms of emerging infections, and better able to recognize radiation symptoms than at posttest (all p < 0.001). Similar statistical patterns can be found in almost all content areas covered. Conclusions: It is difficult to measure competencies and skills needed in emergency preparedness training. Future training will involve more objective measures. Since pharmacists are well positioned to detect emerging and unusual patterns of disease or medical conditions, it is imperative that they are included among professionals who are trained to recognize symptoms of exposure to biological, nuclear, or chemical agents.