Power Outage Troubles Pharmacies in Portugal - A Current Scenario
Unvalidated Prescriptions in Pharmacies Potentially Leading to Refrigeration Malfunctions
In a surprising turn of events, a widespread power outage has hit the Iberian Peninsula as of April 28, 2025, causing significant disruptions in Portugal and Spain. The power cut, occurring at 12:40 p.m. local time, has had severe repercussions, particularly on healthcare services like pharmacies and hospitals.
According to Ema Paulino, the president of the National Association of Pharmacies (ANF), this power outage is causing "serious inconveniences" due to communication and power failures. Some pharmacies have had to suspend their general operations, attending only to emergency and urgent situations.
Prescription validation is compromised, and computer systems may be affected, especially in the conservation of medications requiring cold storage. ANF is doing its best to remain proactive, instructing the pharmacy network to focus the energy of generators and UPS on the conservation of medications. They are also devising strategies for medications that need to be kept at controlled temperatures to assess how long they can be without refrigeration.
Although pharmacies have generators and UPS systems, these equipment have limited autonomy. If the situation persists, they may run out of power, potentially affecting both the functioning of computers and the proper storage of medications. The ANF is doing their best to minimize the impact of this power outage for the sake of the pharmacies and their patients.
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Deep Dive: Navigating Power Outages in Pharmacies
In an extended blackout scenario, pharmacies face several challenges:
Medication Preservation
- Temperature Control: The power outage could compromise the preservation of temperature-sensitive medications, potentially leading to spoilage. This could exacerbate shortages.
- Supply Chain Disruptions: Delays in restocking essential drugs could ensue due to pharmacies' inability to store medications properly during the power outage.
Communication Issues
- Communication Disruptions: Mobile and landline phone services could be affected, hindering pharmacies' ability to communicate with suppliers, healthcare providers, and patients, potentially leading to misunderstandings about medication availability and refill schedules.
- Operational Challenges: Managing patient appointments, prescriptions, and inventory tracking becomes increasingly difficult in the absence of reliable communication, increasing the risk of errors in patient care.
Mitigation Strategies
- Emergency Generators: To maintain critical systems for medication storage and communication, install emergency power generators.
- Alternative Communication Channels: Use alternative communication methods, such as text messaging apps or social media, to stay connected with patients and healthcare providers.
- Supply Chain Planning: Identify potential sources of alternative suppliers to ensure continuous availability of essential medications.
- The severe power outage affecting Portugal and Spain is causing significant challenges within pharmacies, particularly in the preservation of temperature-sensitive medications, since the lack of electricity could potentially lead to spoilage and worsen existing shortages.
- Another issue arising from the power outage is the disruption in mobile and landline phone services, which impedes pharmacies' ability to communicate effectively with suppliers, healthcare providers, and patients, potentially leading to misunderstandings about medication availability and refill schedules.
- To mitigate these issues, pharmacies can implement emergency strategies such as installing power generators for critical systems like medication storage and communication, and relying on alternative communication channels like text messaging apps or social media to stay in touch with patients and healthcare providers.
- Moreover, planning and identifying potential sources of alternative suppliers for essential medications can ensure their continuous availability during power outages and help pharmacies maintain proper health-and-wellness therapies and treatments in the face of science's intricate demands.
