Description of Patients Medications Needs and the Community Pharmacist’s Role in Puerto Rico Following a Natural Disaster

Background: In September 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria, a natural disaster that caused devastation. Initial reports of disruption to the health care system were later followed by increases in the death toll in Puerto Rico. Objective: This project assessed patient medications needs, level of satisfaction with community pharmacy services, and perceptions about the role of the pharmacist during the emergency following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Methodology: The investigation utilized a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Data were collected at 3 community pharmacies located in San Juan, Puerto Rico: Walgreens (Specialty Pharmacy and Store 891) and Farmacia Caridad #9. Patients receiving care at these locations were invited to complete a 10-item questionnaire. These were provided with an information sheet describing details of the study prior to participation. Results: Sixty-five patients participated in the study, with an average age of 59 years. The majority (77%) of the respondents reported problems related to their medications and nearly half (47.7%) reported having trouble either contacting or getting to their pharmacy following the hurricane. Regarding the role of pharmacists following a natural disaster, 94% of respondents reported the pharmacist was available to help them and 95% reported the information provided by the pharmacist was “trustworthy/very trustworthy.” Conclusion: Although the challenges reported in Puerto Rico with regard to medications following Hurricane Maria were significant, patients reported a high level of confidence in the ability of community pharmacists to help them.