Ever wonder how you would stay safe if there was wide-spread anthrax attack? Even if this is something that you’ve never put much thought into, scientists and emergency planners have been working hard since the 2001 anthrax attacks to make sure we have an answer that saves lives and protects health.
Scientists have found that antibiotics are one of the best ways to help keep people safe following exposure to anthrax - but they need to be taken within 48 hours. This poses a daunting challenge for preparedness planners: how do you get specialized lifesaving drugs to a large population in less time than it typically takes Amazon to deliver your latest impulse buy?
The short answer is that you build partnerships, make a solid plan, practice its implementation, and then analyze the results so that you become even more prepared. And partners from across federal, state and local governments have come together to do just that.
Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health departments have developed plans for mass dispensing of antibiotics. The places people would go to pick up these antibiotics are commonly referred to as Points of Dispensing (known as PODS). However, in some jurisdictions, the PODS may not be able to dispense antibiotics to everyone within the 48 hour timeframe.
To fill that gap, the National Postal Model supplements the PODS by delivering antibiotics to homes in designated zip codes. Using this approach, volunteer postal workers will be able to deliver lifesaving medications in time for the medications to help the people who need them.
ASPR has worked closely with the US Postal Service to pilot test this approach in two cities: Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN and in Louisville, KY. Three additional cities are now developing a postal antibiotic delivery capability: San Diego, Boston and Philadelphia.
Minneapolis/St. Paul was at the forefront of implementing the postal model, working closely with federal partners to figure out how to make this model an operational reality. The nation’s first full-scale test of the National Postal Model took place on May 5-6. During this drill, postal workers delivered empty pill bottles to more than 35,000 people in four zip codes, two zip codes in Minneapolis and two zip codes in St. Paul in 12 hours. As partners in this exercise, ASPR now will analyze every step in that process to determine if and how plans can be enhanced.
The National Postal Model shows how multiple partners from all levels of government - local, state, and federal - can work together to plan, prepare and protect our country when saving time will save many lives.
