It is important to include medications and prescriptions in our emergency supplies so that, if we find ourselves unable to seek healthcare or reach a pharmacy, we can still meet our personal medical needs. This issue can disproportionately affect vulnerable people, including children and seniors. When making an emergency plan and stocking your emergency kit, make sure that all household members and anyone you expect to provide for during an emergency are accounted for and that their medical information is kept up to date.
Medical supplies may include:
- Extra pair of glasses
- Hearing aids with extra batteries
- Oxygen
- Current medications and photocopies of prescriptions
- Medical devices, including style and serial number
- Water
- First aid kit
- Other supplies specific to your medical needs
Check out Total Prepare’s first aid products.
Prepare to Meet Your Medical Needs During an Emergency
Here are some helpful tips to prepare in advance to meet your medical needs during an emergency:
- Keep an up-to-date list of your medications, dosages, and medication schedule, including both prescription and non-prescription medications.
- Keep extra medication on hand if possible, and store it in watertight containers to avoid the risk of water damage.
- Store medication in a place where it will not be exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations.
- If any of your medications require refrigeration, keep ice packs frozen and a cooler available so you can transfer your medications if there is a power outage, your fridge no longer works, or you need to leave your household.
- Order early refills of your medications if there is a likelihood that access to your pharmacy will become limited for any reason.
- Regularly check the expiry dates on your medications and first aid supplies. Use those with earlier expiry dates while keeping those with the longest shelf life in your emergency supplies.
- Keep water bottles on hand for medications that require reconstitution.
- Keep a contact list of your healthcare providers in the same place as your emergency medications.
- Label emergency medical supplies with the name of the person who uses them if their name is not already on the product.
We all have unique medical and health needs that we need to make sure we are set up to meet as best we can during an emergency. Consider the needs of everyone in your household and make sure your medical emergency supplies are clearly labelled.
What Medical Supplies Should You Keep in Your Go Kit?
An essential part of emergency preparedness is having a go kit accessible to grab if you need to evacuate your home quickly. In addition to food, water, and your emergency plan, it is important to store some medical items in your go kit. These items include:
- Prescription medications
- Emergency medications, such as asthma inhalers and allergy medications
- Non-prescription medications, such as pain relievers
- Medical supplies, such as a glucometer and test strips
- An up-to-date list of medications
- Personal documents, such as prescriptions and insurance cards
Also ensure you have a supply of personal hygiene items that support your health and a first aid kit. Make sure you know what is in your first aid kit and add any supplies that you expect you may need due to your personal medical history or the surrounding area you may be in. For example, if you have a history of knee pain, you may want to keep an extra knee brace in your kit. If you live in an area with lots of mosquitoes, you may want to add bug spray.
It is essential to consider your household’s medical needs in case of an emergency. By preparing in advance and keeping your emergency medical supplies up to date, you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy during an emergency.