Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T15:57:47.663Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Still Burning: An Exploration of the Impacts of the 2018/2019 Tasmanian Summer Bushfires on Community Pharmacy Operations in Affected Communities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2020

Judith A. Singleton Open the ORCID record for Judith A. Singleton [Opens in a new window] ,
Sherley Khng ,
Elizabeth M. McCourt ,
Kaitlyn E. Watson Open the ORCID record for Kaitlyn E. Watson [Opens in a new window]  and
Esther T.L. Lau
Judith A. Singleton*
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, QUT, Brisbane, Australia Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, QUT, Brisbane, Australia EARTH Research Group, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Sherley Khng
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Elizabeth M. McCourt
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, QUT, Brisbane, Australia Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, QUT, Brisbane, Australia EARTH Research Group, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Kaitlyn E. Watson
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, QUT, Brisbane, Australia EARTH Research Group, QUT, Brisbane, Australia Epicore Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Esther T.L. Lau
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, QUT, Brisbane, Australia Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, QUT, Brisbane, Australia EARTH Research Group, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
*
Correspondence: Judith Singleton, PhD, QUT Gardens Point Campus, School of Clinical Sciences, Q Block, 2 George Street, Brisbane4000Australia, E-mail: judith.singleton@qut.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

Human-induced climate change is increasing the likelihood and severity of wildfires across the globe. This has negative consequences for the health of affected communities through the loss of health systems’ infrastructure and disrupted health services. Community pharmacies are a central hub between patients and the health care system and can provide continuity of care during wildfires. However, there is little in peer-reviewed literature about the impacts of wildfires on community pharmacy operations.

Study Objective:

The aim of this study was therefore to explore the impacts of the 2018/2019 summer bushfires in Tasmania, Australia on community pharmacy operations in affected areas.

Methods:

Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with four community pharmacists who were working in the affected region during the bushfires. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analyzed using two methods– manual coding utilizing NVivo software and Leximancer analysis. Inter-rater reliability was ensured by two researchers analyzing the data independently. Differences in coding were discussed and agreement reached through negotiation amongst the research team.

Results:

From the manual coding analysis, five key themes emerged – communication and collaboration; support; patient health challenges; pharmacist experiences in delivering health care; and future planning. These aligned with the five themes that emerged from the Leximancer analysis – community; local; town; patients; and work. Participants described working during the wildfires as difficult, with multiple challenges reported including communication difficulties, operational barriers such as power cuts, legislative barriers, logistical issues with obtaining and storing medication supplies, and lack of preparation, support, and funding. They highlighted a lack of operational and financial support from the government and received most assistance from local council bodies and local branches of professional pharmacy organizations.

Conclusion:

During disasters, community pharmacies help reduce the burden on public hospitals by maintaining medication supplies and treating patients with minor ailments. However, increased support and inclusion in disaster management planning is needed to continue this role.

Keywords

community pharmacy servicesdisasterdisaster medication managementdisaster relief planningnatural disasters
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 35 , Issue 6 , December 2020 , pp. 612 - 618
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Note: Singleton and Khng are equal first authors. McCourt and Watson are equal second authors.

References

Jones, MW, Smith, A, Betts, R, et al. ScienceBrief Review: Climate Change Increases the Risk of Wildfires. Norwich, England: University of East Anglia (UEA); 2020.Google Scholar
Dutta, R, Das, A, Aryal, J. Big data integration shows Australian bush-fire frequency is increasing significantly. R Soc Open Sci. 2016;3:150241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borchers Arriagada, N, Bowman, DMJS, Palmer, AJ, et al. “Climate Change, Wildfires, Heatwaves and Health Impacts in Australia.” In: Akhtar R (ed). Extreme Weather Events and Human Health: International Case Studies. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2020: 99-116.Google Scholar
Hughes, L, Fenwick, J. The Burning Issue: Climate Change and The Australian Bushfire Threat. Sydney, Australia: Climate Council; 2015.Google Scholar
Hanna, EG, McIver, LJ. Climate change: a brief overview of the science and health impacts for Australia. Med J Aust. 2018;208(7):311-315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
FitzGerald, GJ, Capon, A, Aitken, P. Resilient health systems: preparing for climate disasters and other emergencies. Med J Aust. 2019;210(7):304-305.Google ScholarPubMed
Reid, CE, Brauer, M, Johnston, FH, et al. Critical review of health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 2016;124(9):1334-1343.Google ScholarPubMed
Reid, C, Jerrett, M, Considine, E, et al. “Health Impacts Associated with Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone during a Wildfire: Evidence of Differential Effects Due to Measures of the Social Environment.” In: ISEE Conference Abstracts. Cleveland, Ohio USA: ISEE; 2018.Google Scholar
Black, C, Tesfaigzi, Y, Bassein, JA, et al. Wildfire smoke exposure and human health: significant gaps in research for a growing public health issue. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2017;55:186-195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zara, C, Parkinson, D, Duncan, A, et al. Men and disaster: men’s experiences of the Black Saturday bushfires and the aftermath. Aust J Emerg Manag. 2016;31:40.Google Scholar
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Submission in Response to the Competition Policy Review Draft Report. Barton, ACT, Australia: PGA; 2014.Google Scholar
Watson, KE, Singleton, JA, Tippett, V, et al. Defining pharmacists’ roles in disasters: a Delphi study. PLoS One. 2019;14(12):e0227132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM). Review of Response to the Thunderstorm Asthma Event of 21-22 November 2016 Final Report. Victorian, Australia Government; 2017.Google Scholar
Haggan, M. Pharmacists Battle to Help Patients. https://ajp.com.au/news/pharmacists-battle-to-help-patients/. Published January 30, 2019. Accessed March 4, 2020.Google Scholar
TripleM news. Geeveston Pharmacy remains open for locals needing urgent supplies during bushfires. https://www.triplem.com.au/story/geeveston-pharmacy-legend-remains-open-126539. Published January 30, 2019. Accessed March 4, 2020.Google Scholar
Humphries, A. Bushfire smoke blankets Hobart as dozens of out-of-control blazes burn across Tasmania. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-29/smoke-blankets-hobart-cbd-as-bushfires-burn-across-tasmania/10759098. Published January 29, 2019. Accessed March 4, 2020.Google Scholar
Bain, C, Baker, N. Amid the ruins of the NSW bushfires, this pharmacist is keeping his doors open. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/amid-the-ruins-of-the-nsw-bushfires-this-pharmacist-is-keeping-his-doors-open. Accessed March 4, 2020.Google Scholar
Winkle, A, Neilson, K. Pharmacists keep up vital medicine supplies during catastrophic fires. Australian Pharmacist. https://www.australianpharmacist.com.au/pharmacists-keep-up-vital-medicine-supplies-during-catastrophic-fires/. Published January 8, 2020. Accessed March 4, 2020.Google Scholar
Mak, PW, Singleton, J. Burning questions: exploring the impact of natural disasters on community pharmacies. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2017;13(1):162-171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rogers, P. Development of resilient Australia: enhancing the PPRR approach with anticipation, assessment and registration of risks. Aust J Emerg Manag. 2011;26:54.Google Scholar
Saldana, J. Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. Thousand Oaks, California USA: SAGE Publications; 2009.Google Scholar
Leximancer. Leximancer Manual Version 4.5. University of Queensland, Brisbane. 2017.Google Scholar
Smith, AE, Humphreys, MS. Evaluation of unsupervised semantic mapping of natural language with Leximancer concept mapping. Behav Research Methods. 2006;38:262-279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burns, PL, Douglas, KA, Hu, W. Primary care in disasters: opportunity to address a hidden burden of health care. Med J Aust. 2019;210(7):297-299.Google ScholarPubMed
Watson, KE, Singleton, JA, Tippett, V, et al. Pharmacists transcend disaster health silos. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(Suppl 1):s62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCourt, E, Watson, K, Singleton, J, et al. Are Australian pharmacists willing to work in a disaster? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(Suppl 1):s101-s102.Google Scholar
Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Urgent advice for NSW pharmacists supplying medicines to patients in bushfire affected areas. https://www.guild.org.au/guild-branches/nsw/new-south-wales-branch/bushfire-advice-for-nsw-pharmacists. Published January 13, 2020. Accessed February 16, 2020.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Singleton et al. supplementary material

Singleton et al. supplementary material 1

Download Singleton et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 60.9 KB
Supplementary material: Image

Singleton et al. supplementary material

Singleton et al. supplementary material 2

Download Singleton et al. supplementary material(Image)
Image 2 MB