Key Findings
- The National Medical Stockpile met the demands of the 2009 pandemic, although overall demand was limited.
- There is a need to better communicate the role of stockpiles and to clarify the policy regarding and timing of the transition from jurisdictional stockpiles to the national stockpile.
- Distribution, tracking and reporting mechanisms could be enhanced.
- Responsibility for providing personal protective equipment to general practitioners should be clearly defined.
Text box 8: National Medical Stockpile guidance from AHMPPI 2008
Objective
Objective
- Operational objective 2: Minimise transmission.
- Actions will be taken to reduce the spread of the pandemic virus to minimise the number of people affected by the disease.
- The function of the National Medical Stockpile is to maintain a stock of pharmaceuticals, personal protective equipment and medical equipment to enable the Australian Government to respond to a range of public health threats.
- The use of the National Medical Stockpile to respond to a pandemic is an Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing decision undertaken in consultation with the Australian Health Protection Committee.
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