Background

Emergencies and disasters are major threats to health care systems. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is at the center of a recent emergency situation that requires increased attention from health care professionals, including pharmacists. This study was aimed at providing an overview of pharmacists’ roles in disasters and formulating a definition of expected roles and tasks through which they can perform these roles properly.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted utilizing a literature search performed on the Medline, EMBASE and PubMed databases. The last search occurred on 14 July 2020. Data were extracted and recorded on a data extraction sheet by the reviewers, then categorized using the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery (PPRR) model. Study quality was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist.

Results

Fifteen articles addressing pharmacists’ roles in disasters were included. Of these, three addressed pharmacists’ roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacists’ roles in the prevention of emergencies, including COVID-19, are focused on chronic disease medication supply and education. Regarding pharmacists’ preparedness to perform their roles in disasters, they were more focused on health policy and population health planning, especially regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Direct patient care continues to support patients through medication availability, and pharmacists’ clinical roles are examples of their response to disasters. In addition, pharmacists have an important role in disaster recovery that involves several activities, such as restocking emergency kits and reestablishing normal stock. Studies were generally of a reasonable quality. However, some limitations were noted among studies, and higher quality studies that contribute to existing knowledge are needed.

Conclusion

Health care systems’ utilization of pharmacists’ new roles can result in a well-prepared disaster response, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacists’ engagement in decision-making processes and adequate demonstration of pharmacists’ nontraditional roles in the literature can facilitate the health care community’s acceptance of such roles.

中文翻译：

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药剂师在紧急情况和灾难中的作用：以 COVID-19 为例

背景

紧急情况和灾难是对医疗保健系统的主要威胁。2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 是近期紧急情况的核心，需要包括药剂师在内的医疗保健专业人员给予更多关注。本研究旨在概述药剂师在灾难中的角色，并制定预期角色和任务的定义，通过它们他们可以正确地履行这些角色。

方法

利用对 Medline、EMBASE 和 PubMed 数据库进行的文献检索进行了系统评价。最后一次搜索发生在 2020 年 7 月 14 日。审查人员提取数据并记录在数据提取表上，然后使用预防、准备、响应和恢复 (PPRR) 模型进行分类。使用关键评估技能计划 (CASP) 清单评估研究质量。

结果

包括 15 篇关于药剂师在灾难中的作用的文章。其中，三位谈到了药剂师在 COVID-19 大流行期间的角色。药剂师在预防紧急情况（包括 COVID-19）中的作用主要集中在慢性病药物供应和教育上。关于药剂师在灾难中发挥作用的准备，他们更关注卫生政策和人口健康规划，特别是在 COVID-19 大流行方面。直接的患者护理继续通过药物供应为患者提供支持，药剂师的临床角色是他们应对灾难的例子。此外，药剂师在灾难恢复中发挥着重要作用，涉及多项活动，例如补充应急包和恢复正常库存。研究通常具有合理的质量。

结论

正如在 COVID-19 大流行期间所观察到的那样，医疗保健系统利用药剂师的新角色可以导致准备充分的灾难响应。药剂师参与决策过程和充分证明药剂师在文献中的非传统角色可以促进医疗保健界接受这些角色。