INSTRUCTIONS FOR PHARMACISTS

Overview of KatrinaHealth.org

KatrinaHealth.org is a secure online service created in response to the critical need to provide pharmacists and physicians who are treating Hurricane Katrina evacuees with access to the evacuees' prescription drug and dosage information.

KatrinaHealth.org is available only to actively licensed US pharmacists and physicians. The web site provides authorized health professionals with a secure means to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees who do not have access to or do not recall their medication histories.

Once authorized to use KatrinaHealth.org, health professionals are able to access an evacuee's medication history compiled from the following sources:
  • Louisiana and Mississippi Medicaid
  • Chain pharmacies (Albertsons, CVS/Pharmacy, Kmart, Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie)
  • Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Getting Started: Obtaining User ID and Password

To access www.katrinahealth.org, pharmacists must obtain a user name and password.
  • For independent pharmacy owners seeking access: contact the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) at 1-888-291-1131. They will authenticate and provide access for independent pharmacies.
  • For chain pharmacies seeking access: A representative from a chain pharmacy's headquarters should contact the SureScripts Electronic Prescribing Resource Center at 1-866-797-3239. SureScripts will authenticate and provide login information for chain pharmacies on behalf of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).
Upon answering these questions a login and password will be provided which can be used to access the KatrinaHealth.org immediately.

Pharmacists should continue to apply their existing pharmacy protocols for handling renewals.

For more details on how physicians can access KatrinaHealth.org, please call the American Medical Association's Unified Service Center at 1-800-262-3211.

Using KatrinaHealth.org to Treat Evacuees

When treating an evacuee, an authorized user of KatrinaHealth.org will be prompted to enter the evacuee's first name, last name, date of birth, pre-Katrina residence zip code and gender. If the evacuee's information is available in KatrinaHealth.org, the health provider will see a link to the following information:
  • Quantity and day supply
  • The pharmacy that filled the script (if available)
  • The provider who wrote the script
  • Drug information, such as indication and dosage, administration and interactions

Special Considerations
  • The medication information should only be used to supplement your assessment of a patient's medication history. It is provided as a reference, not an authoritative list.
  • The data may have errors of duplication or omission, as it has been collected from multiple sources and may not be current or comprehensive.
  • The medication information does not include medication information relating to selected sensitive health care conditions (said this above), including the classes of medications approved or commonly used to treat mental illness, chemical dependencies or HIV/AIDS. For information on the HIPAA Privacy Rule and its relationship to the relief efforts, see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/EnforcementStatement.pdf.
  • Not all evacuees' information is in KatrinaHealth.org. The coalition supporting KatrinaHealth.org are working to identify and link information from additional sources.
  • KatrinaHealth.org provides "Read Only" access and information in the system can not be modified or otherwise changed by the treating health professional.
  • Use of KatrinaHealth.org is rigorously monitored and tracked. Periodic audits of the system will be conducted to identify and address any unusual use. In addition, a complete record of the physicians who used the system and the names of the evacuees whose information was accessed will be kept.

Getting Assistance

For information on technical issues on the use of the system, please call the KatrinaHealth.org Support Center 1-800-375-0943 ext. 504.

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