Staff Photo by Robin Rudd
Hamilton County Health Department.The situation is dire. A flu pandemic tears through the Chattanooga area and thousands need medicine. But many are too sick to even get to the doctor, much less the drug store.
What do you do?
That was the question raised Thursday during a public forum held by several national medical agencies in Chattanooga. Led by officials from the Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50 Hamilton County residents spent four hours learning more about flu pandemics and brainstorming on ways to best deliver needed medications.
“We are reaching out to people from all walks of life to get their input on an important issue,” said Dr. Art Kellermann, the vice president and director of RAND Health, who was co-chairman of the event at the Hamilton County Health Department.
Allowing pharmacists to prescribe medication, having family members pick up medication for sick patients and using phone banks that people can call for prescriptions are all options under consideration, officials said.