The US Department of State's Emergency Plan for AIDS recently contacted APhA about its need for French-speaking pharmacists in Haiti. Help was needed in managing French-labeled antiretroviral medications in Port-au-Prince.

A facility where medications were stored withstood the January 12 earthquake. It has been repurposed to serve as a medication-distribution point for earthquake-relief efforts. The medications are being distributed through the existing structure for serving AIDS clinics.

The public is flocking to those clinics for help since they know medical care is available there. Staff members in the clinics are working to arrange food and shelter for volunteers, possibly in tent cities with other medical personnel.

What is amazing is that thanks to earlier pleas, we were able to pull from our database of hundreds of pharmacists who volunteered a list of 19 French- and Creole-speaking pharmacists ready to go to Haiti for stints of 2 weeks or longer. For updates on pharmacists' involvement in Haiti, see the homepage of www.pharmacist.com.

Thanks for stepping up. Your profession is proud of you!