Supporting you through wildfires: New tools for pharmacy teams
Canada is facing one of the most severe wildfire seasons on record, with evacuation orders and widespread air quality warnings across multiple provinces. These emergencies are disrupting lives and health systems—and for many pharmacy professionals, they hit close to home.
CPhA is here to support you with a growing toolkit of pharmacist-specific resources to help you care for your patients, prepare your practice, and respond effectively during times of crisis.
NEW: In response to real-time feedback from those helping manage patient care this wildfire season, we’ve added two new resources to our toolkit to help pharmacy teams support displaced patients and navigate emergency medication coverage.
Tools to help pharmacists support patients
To help pharmacy professionals prepare for and respond to the impacts of wildfires and other emergencies, CPhA has developed a suite of practical, pharmacist-focused resources:
NEW! Supporting displaced patients
This resource is designed for pharmacy teams supporting patients displaced/evacuated due to natural disasters. It provides a step-by-step checklist to ensure the continuity of medication therapy and helps evaluate a patient’s urgent needs.
NEW! Medication coverage in emergency situations
During emergencies, such extreme weather events, pandemics or evacuations, access to essential medications becomes an urgent priority. This resource summarizes pharmacist prescriptive authority during emergencies and how emergency medication coverage is handled across Canada.
Wildfires resource
A focused handout offering guidance on:
- Counselling patients on reducing exposure and staying safe
- Recommending emergency supply plans and air quality monitoring
- Identifying and supporting high-risk populations
Continuity of care toolkit
This set of operational resources—Ensuring Continuity of Care During and After Emergencies and Top Considerations for Pharmacy Managers—is designed to help you:
- Manage temporary closures and ensure staff safety
- Transfer prescriptions and provide emergency fills
- Communicate effectively with patients and colleagues
- Prepare for surges in demand for medications like inhalers and epinephrine
Emergency preparedness for patients
This Medication Checklist and Grab & Go Medication Bag resource can help patients keep their medication records and supplies organized—tools that are particularly useful for pharmacists when care continuity depends on quick, informed responses.
Staying resilient, staying connected
Every season, pharmacy professionals step up—keeping doors open, answering questions, delivering care and offering stability when it’s needed most. Whether you're navigating a temporary closure, dealing with disrupted supply chains or supporting displaced patients, you're not alone.
“We are deeply grateful for the incredible dedication and resilience pharmacy teams continue to show as they support patients amidst yet another difficult wildfire season. We know a lot more will be asked of them as the season unfolds. Whether it’s ensuring access to essential medications, providing trusted health advice, or simply being a steady presence in a time of crisis, pharmacists are going above and beyond for their communities.”
— Annette Robinson, CPhA Chair