As we enter the hurricane season, and the weather and Mother Nature across the country act in peculiar ways, it is a good time to express your desire to help your community if an emergency event should occur. My days as a Boy Scout embedded the concept of being prepared and not waiting for the situation to occur to begin doing your planning. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) offers pharmacists opportunities to use their unique skill sets to support the health and safety of their communities.

The Medical Reserve Corps is a network of more than 200,000 volunteers—organized in almost 1,000 local units across the United States—with a mission to strengthen public health, improve emergency preparedness and response capabilities, and build community resilience. MRC volunteers can contribute to a range of activities, such as providing vaccinations, dispensing medications, teaching neighbors how to prepare a disaster kit, and assisting with emergency responses. MRC’s volunteer pharmacists have demonstrated their value to local communities on many occasions. The MRC can also connect pharmacist members to valuable trainings, often with continuing education credits. This training improves the pharmacists’ capacity to assist and increases their comfort in being involved.

Get connected now. To find out more about the Medical Reserve Corps, please visit http://1.usa.gov/1gYz5cz. The “Find MRC Units” page is a great place to start. You can also contact the MRC Program Office (Office of the Surgeon General/Division of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps) at MRCcontact@hhs.gov for information. Sign up today!