R.I. to simulate mass antibiotic distribution

State and local agencies will conduct an exercise this Friday and Saturday simulating a response to a statewide public health emergency, aiming to test their ability to bring together resources and receive and distribute medications as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The governor’s office, the R.I. Department of Health, the R.I. Emergency Management Agency, the state police and the R.I. Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals are coordinating the event.
In addition, 10 municipalities and 11 hospital and treatment centers will participate in the exercise by opening and managing point-of-dispensing (POD) centers, which would be used to distribute medications or provide vaccines to the population in an emergency.
The public is encouraged to participate; to do so, they should go to their local POD site between noon and 1 p.m. on Saturday to get a briefing on the simulated public health threat and be given supplies. Participation should take no more than 20 minutes, officials said.
Following the exercise, anyone interested in assisting at their community POD in the future will be encouraged to contact their local emergency management director.
“The best way for us to test ourselves is to simulate a real-life situation, and public participation is critical to our success,” Gov. Donald L. Carcieri said in a news release. “In addition, this exercise will prepare the public should we ever be faced with an emergency of this scale.”
For more information on the exercise, including a list of participating municipalities, go to www.health.ri.gov.