Abstract
When Robert A. Grasso joined the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as director of Emergency Pharmacy Services in 2005, one of the first tasks assigned to him was to procure a new disaster-response vehicle. But VA was not looking for the kind of transportation available at an automobile dealership. Instead, the department needed a fully functioning mobile pharmacy, with a satellite link to VA’s consolidated mail-order pharmacy (CMOP) outpatient formulary database, to provide outpatient services to veterans affected by a hurricane or other disaster. The prototype, a 40-ft-long, custom-built shipping container dubbed the deployable pharmacy unit (DPU), was unveiled September 11 in front of VA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters building, along with the department’s new deployable medical unit. The DPU features solid steel construction that Grasso said can withstand winds from a category 3 storm, which can reach 130 mph. Inside, the unit is divided into five compartments, including pharmacy workspaces for drug preparation and dispensing and an entryway that can be made accessible to patients. Also inside is a sleeping area with six bunks and bathroom and shower for VA personnel who would staff the DPU during deployment.
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