Due to the evacuation of the coastal regions in Texas, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy is issuing the following advisory. If a pharmacy in the evacuated areas is going to be closed, the pharmacy should be locked and secured as best as possible to provide for the security of the drugs. If the pharmacy has a safe, the controlled substances should be locked in the safe. Pharmacists should use their professional judgment in providing for the safety of the pharmacy records and drugs.
Pharmacists should not take the drugs with them unless the drugs can be immediately transferred to another pharmacy along with proper transferring documentation. Losses should be reported as required by law upon re-entry to the pharmacy. It would be advisable for the pharmacy to conduct an inventory before evacuating, if possible.
In addition, the pharmacy should notify local authorities that the pharmacy is closed.
