A Comprehensive Analysis Behind The Law And Ethics Of The Shelf Life Extension Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2008, developed the initiative “Run, Hide, Fight” as a response strategy to an active shooter event. In the event of an active shooter they suggest run or evacuate first, if evacuation is not possible, hide and barricade doors, and as a last resort, fight back if your life is in imminent danger (DHS, 2008). All public places are vulnerable to active shooter attacks, but hospitals differ due to the vulnerability of its patients. Evacuation may not a possibility for all patients, as some may be non-ambulatory due medical conditions, or incapacitated due to anesthesia or sedation (e.g. surgical patients, ventilator dependent). Another factor increasing patient vulnerability is the patient’s ability to understand commands (e.g. Dementia, language barriers). In order to establish effective preparedness strategies, they should be tailored to the hospital environment and specific units (Cormier, 2016; Jacobs et al., 2017).

As a critical care nurse the concern with medication shortages really hits home. In my current practice I have been asked by our hospital pharmacy to decrease the amount of Ativan given to a patient because the supply was low and they did not have any more to restock our omnicell. I am unsure the reason behind this particular shortage, but several other drugs we currently use are in low supply, most importantly epinephrine. Epinephrine is a life-saving medication, not only for supply on our code carts for cardiac arrest, but available in injection form for people with severe allergies. The shortage affects everyone, from oncology patients to cardiac patients. Recent policy changes have been made in order to correct the major shortages to help keep these life-saving drugs on the market and available to the people that need them.

The first major bioterror event in the United States--the anthrax attacks in October 2001--was a clarion call for scientists who work with "hot" agents to find ways of protecting civilian populations against biological weapons. In The Demon in the Freezer, his first nonfiction book since The Hot Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Richard Preston takes us into the heart of Usamriid, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the headquarters of the U.S. biological weapons program and now the epicenter of national biodefense.

“Bioterrorism remains a major threat for the United States despite more than $65 billion spent on protecting the country from myriad dangers, the Bipartisan WMD Terrorism Research Center said in its latest report Wednesday. The center's Bio-Response Report Card evaluated U.S. preparedness for countering threats from bioterrorism and found the country remains vulnerable to multiple threats and "largely unprepared for a large-scale bioterrorist attack."”(UPI.com, 2011). There have been over a dozen leading U.S. bio-defense experts that have taken part in figuring out where we are exactly as a county and what the effects of a terroristic attack

International terrorism has greatly impacted the role of first responders throughout the U.S., not only in terms of large scale events like the attacks on 9/11, but the role of the first responder has needed to adapt to the widely varying methods of attacks that have been employed. First responders may face threats from biological, chemical, and radiological weapons of mass destruction. First responder heroes of 9/11 are still dealing with injuries, illness, and even still dying from the effects of that terrorist attack. (ODMP, 2017). First

As the winter season approaches, get a fresh 90-day supply of all medications. This way, if something happens that keeps you homebound, you will not run out of essential

In fact, security of goods in the cargo supply chain is also significant, especially consumable goods such as pharmaceuticals. This kind of goods could prove catastrophic, result in substantial loss of both financial and life.

A governmental concern is that a bioterrorist attack will trigger panic amongst the population. Panic refers to a group response where intense fear causes people to be concerned with only their survival. While actual panic is rare, there are certain factors that could cause panic in the event of a bioterrorist attack, including limited medical resources where “first come, first serve” applies, a perception that there is poor

It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep the medication information up to date especially when distributed by the

As the need for a more uniformed response system that not only notified federal agencies but that would include state, local and civilians the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) became obsolete and was replaced with National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). This instrument is not only beneficial in planning how to prepare for terrorist attack but also provides guidance to all whom may be involved on procedures and policies. First responders need to be aware of all risks they may be exposed to prior to, during, and after an event occurs. Lack of proper personal equipment (PPE), training and funding for their agency may be detrimental not only to them but those they are trying to assist. There are many risk that first responders are

The issues in the article entitled “Benefits of Unit Dose Packaging” by Kate DeMutis discusses the problems that arise in regards to compliance of patient’s using medications and wound care supplies as ordered by their healthcare providers. It appears that with the “growing number of prescriptions in the United States it can be concluded that incorrect use of the medications or wound care supplies is impacting ones recovery in a timely fashion,” (DeMutis, 2015) and perhaps unit dosing may be the solution.

Is there a policy/SOP for control of medication inventory including removal of outdated medications from stock? •YES •

Bioterrorism presents a very unique threat to the United States. A biological attack can be hard to immediately detect and poses many collection challenges to the Intelligence Community. A small vial of anthrax can go undetected in the pocket of an individual through an airport, government facility, or one of the many other areas that usually have significant security designed to prevent conventional terrorist attacks. A small amount of a biological agent can do a significant amount of damage. How can the Intelligence Community counter bioterrorism threats? This is the question this research paper aims to answer.

After completing a seven week experiment testing the potency of cetirizine in allergy pills, I felt obligated to inform a member of congress on the importance of knowing the true expiration data of pharmaceuticals.

Pharmaceuticals end up in our drinking water for many reasons. Medication that is unused or becomes expired often gets flushed down the toilet. Hospitals are usually have arrangements with the on-site