Government information, plans & resources | Chapter 8: National Medical Stockpile Deployment

Review of Australia’s Health Sector Response to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009: Lessons Identified

Chapter 8: National Medical Stockpile Deployment

Table of contents

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

Purpose

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.

Governance

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.

This information is current for 17 May, 2012
This information was issued on October, 2011