ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The NCPA Foundation has announced its new Basic Disaster Life Support Program, a day-long intensive workshop for pharmacists to be held in conjunction with the National Community Pharmacists Association's 109th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition, October 13-17 in Anaheim, California.

With support from the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston's Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness and the Centers for Disease Control, this comprehensive course curriculum offers a common, coordinated approach for managing casualties during disasters. Offered now for the first time to a pharmacy audience, the course will demonstrate how new technology solutions and the health care claims processing infrastructure will be used to efficiently access patient prescription records and process prescription drugs in a future emergency response. Course participants will be provided a model disaster plan for community pharmacies.

"As our nation diligently prepares for the possibility of either man-made or natural disasters, it is imperative that health care providers develop plans to deliver their services in a time of crisis. This is especially true for many of our nation's 23,000 community pharmacies who often serve patients with the greatest medication needs in rural and underserved areas. While we continue through an already active 2007 hurricane season and as we remember the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, now is the time for community pharmacists to prepare systems and resources to assist their patients when they need it most," said Charles M. West, P.D., president, National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation (NCPAF).

Other organizations invited to contribute to the curriculum include Argus Health Systems, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, e-Rx, Gold Standard, IceRx, NCPDP Emergency Preparedness Committee, Pharmacists Mutual, RelayHealth, RxHub, Rx Response, and SureScripts. NCPAF is working with the National Alliance for State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) to make the program available nationwide at an additional ten sites.

The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953 to honor former NARD Executive Secretary John W. Dargavel. Contributions to the NCPA Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent permitted under federal tax law. The Foundation supports the growth and advancement of independent community pharmacy through low-interest educational loans and scholarships to pharmacy students in need, critical research and programs to improve the success of independent pharmacy, and financial assistance to community pharmacy owners for their recovery in the event of disaster, accidents, illness, or adverse circumstances.

The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898, represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 pharmacies. The nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises, and independent chains dispense nearly half of the nation's retail prescription medicines. To learn more go to www.ncpanet.org.