Mass Antibiotic Dispensing: A Primer Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Training Network Satellite Broadcast & Webcast Originally aired June 24, 2004 Course Overview The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) was established in 1999 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention (CDC) to provide an inventory of medications and medical supplies available to send to a location in the event of a large infectious disease outbreak or other public health emergency, including a bioterrorism attack. SNS planners are charged with planning for the arrival of the supplies to augment local and state resources. Key to the arrival of SNS medications and supplies is planning for mass antibiotic dispensing. The overarching goal of a dispensing operation is to decrease the pool of people exposed or presenting during an event. This satellite broadcast will provide SNS planners with an overview of the critical aspects of a mass dispensing operation. The presenters will discuss policy and operational issues that need to be wrestled with, resolved, and planned for, prior to an event. Goal To provide an overview of a critical and complex aspect of SNS plans--mass antibiotic dispensing. Objectives Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be able to describe: * How SNS mass dispensing fits into the overall community emergency response plan. * Key factors used in determining the points of dispensing (PODs). * Critical POD policy issues that impact SNS planning. * Three ways a health information campaign impacts SNS planning. Target Audience This broadcast is designed for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) local and state planners. Presenters Curtis Mast, MS, Exercise Coordinator, Strategic National Stockpile Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Eileen Malatino, BSN, Health Scientist, Strategic National Stockpile Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ruth Thornburg, MA, MS, Public Information/Communication, Strategic National Stockpile Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nathaniel Hupert, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Medicine, Division of Outcomes and Effectiveness Research, Weill Medical College of Cornell University LuAnne McNichols, BSN, MN, BT Clinical Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health