National Preparedness Month – A Wake-Up Call for Pharmacists and Healthcare Managers

September is National Preparedness Month — a timely opportunity for businesses and institutions to examine their emergency readiness plans. For pharmacists, healthcare managers, and anyone responsible for storing vaccines and temperature-sensitive medications, it’s also a crucial reminder of how high the stakes can be if the power goes out. 

Why National Preparedness Month Matters for the Cold Chain 

Vaccines, biologics, and many high-value medications depend on strict temperature control to remain safe and effective. Even brief temperature excursions can compromise potency, leading to loss of inventory, patient safety risks, and regulatory headaches. A single refrigerator failure can cost a facility tens of thousands of dollars in lost product. In some cases, the financial and reputational damage can climb into the hundreds of thousands. 

Despite the known risks, many healthcare facilities still rely solely on the public power grid. With severe weather, brownouts, and grid instability increasing nationwide, that’s an expensive gamble. 

The Rising Risk of Power Disruptions 

The threat of power interruptions can come from anywhere. Weather-related outages are growing more common due to hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires, and storms pushing power grids to their limits. Rolling brownouts and reduced voltage events are also becoming more frequent as utilities manage surging demand, and these disruptions can affect refrigeration equipment even without a total blackout. Just a short interruption may be enough to cause a compressor failure, leading for a vaccine refrigerator to quickly go outside of its safe temperature range, jeopardizing costly inventory and patient safety. 

“In our decades of experience, we’ve seen firsthand many times how a single power disruption can result in the loss of an entire inventory of life-saving medications,” says Sharon Leary, backup power consultant at Medi-Products. “That’s why we design and support backup power systems specifically for the critical demands of medical refrigeration.” 

Practical Ways to Strengthen Your Preparedness 

Evaluating your facility’s vulnerability is an essential first step. Ask what would happen if your power failed for an hour or a day — could you maintain your cold chain? Think about whether you have adequate redundancy. Backup power solutions designed specifically for medical refrigeration can automatically maintain proper temperatures during an outage. Staff training is equally important. Everyone should know how to monitor temperatures, respond to alarms, and safeguard product during a power disruption. 

Regular maintenance and testing of backup systems and alarms ensures your safeguards are ready when needed. Documenting and reviewing your procedures, along with having written protocols and annual drills, can reveal gaps and help your team respond quickly. 

The Cost of Inaction 

Without any business continuity planning, lost inventory is only the beginning. Facilities risk compliance violations, loss of patient trust, and interruptions in care delivery. Insurance may cover some financial loss (and many times won’t) but can’t repair damage to your reputation or to patient outcomes. 

Use National Preparedness Month to Take Action 

September offers a natural checkpoint to evaluate your facility’s resilience. If you haven’t reviewed your power contingency plans recently, make it a priority this month. Partnering with experienced providers who understand medical refrigeration can help ensure you have turnkey backup systems that meet healthcare standards. 

“Our team at Medi-Products is built on deep technical expertise and a commitment to reliability,” says Sharon. “We’re here to help pharmacists and healthcare managers prepare effectively so that essential medicines remain protected from the unpredictable nature of power outages and brownouts.” 

Call Medi-Products today to speak with one of our backup power experts and to find out how we can help you stay prepared. Our team can be reached at 1.800.765.3237, by visiting www.mediproducts.net or by filling out the contact form below. 

So when the next outage or brownout strikes — and it’s a matter of when, not if — your investment in preparedness will pay for itself many times over.