Strategic National Stockpile

The Strategic National Stockpile - What it means to you

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, and earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once Federal and local authorities agree that the SNS is needed, medicines will be delivered to any state in the U.S. within 12 hours. Each state has plans to receive and distribute SNS medicine and medical supplies to local communities as quickly as possible.

What should you know about the medicines in the SNS?

• The medicine in the SNS is FREE for everyone.
• The SNS has stockpiled enough medicine to protect people in several large cities at the same time.
• Federal, state and local community planners are working together to ensure that the SNS medicines will be delivered to the affected area to protect you and your family if there is a terrorist attack.

How will you get your medicine if the SNS is delivered to your area?

• Local communities are preparing to receive SNS medicine and medical supplies from the state to provide to everyone in the community who needs them.
• Listen for Public Service Announcements from your local health department.
• Find out about how to get medicine to protect you and your family by watching TV, listening to the radio, reading the newspaper, checking the community Web site on the Internet or learning from trusted community leaders.

There are various methods in which the SNS can and will be dispensed during just such an emergency. Those modalities consist of:

• Traditional dispensing clinics where individuals come to a designated location and are seen by clinic staff (Closed POD)
• United States Postal Plan, where medications are dispensed by the USPS via the mail.
• Closed Points of Dispensing where medications are dispensed to a specific target population.

If you have questions about public health emergencies and emergency preparedness, contact R. Jason Marks, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Peoria City/County Health Department at 309-679-6020 or by email at: jmarks@peoriacounty.org