PHARMACY owners in the UK are being urged to develop contingency plans to cope with anticipated power cuts during the northern hemisphere winter.
The Pharmacy Defence Association (PDA) has warned members that the UK could face power outages if Russia cuts off gas supplies to Europe in response to sanctions relating to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a statement released over the weekend, the organisation noted that power cuts could impact the safe and secure storage of medications.
"Some pharmacists have already told the PDA that although they have asked their manager [about contingency plans], and their employer does not yet seem to have planned for this possibility," the PDA said.
"Therefore, they are concerned that such occurrences could happen with no agreed contingency action prepared, leaving the frontline responsible pharmacist to deal with the consequences.
"Many pharmacists around the world are used to practising in conditions where continuous energy supply is not guaranteed.
"However, the PDA is mindful that pharmacists in the UK have almost all been fortunate enough to never face the lack of power supply, and so such an occurrence would be unfamiliar to them."
The PDA noted that Britain's National Grid has announced proposals for how businesses and individuals can be paid for shifting their electricity use to off peak times, with a scheme whereby users are paid to "become virtual power plants".
"At a time of a cost of living crisis, PDA members may be interested in this initiative," the PDA said.
"That scheme is one of several initiatives from the National Grid to mitigate against power cuts."
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