Pharmacies
New York City (NYC) has over 3,000 pharmacies, each of which plays an essential role in planning and responding to a citywide public health emergency. The NYC Department of Health partners with pharmacies to prepare for emergencies and help pharmacies stay open during and after a citywide public health emergency.
For additional pharmacy preparedness information, please e-mail: rxinfo@health.nyc.gov.
Health Alerts
View and sign-up for NYC Health Alerts and Advisories.
Letters to Pharmacies, 2025
- Advisory #2: Prepare Your Pharmacy for Coastal Storm Season
- Advisory #1: Help Prevent Heat-Related Illness and Death
Preparedness Tools and Resources
Pharmacy Preparedness Tools
- Generator Information for Businesses (PDF): Guidelines to help businesses (including pharmacies) prepare for a power outage.
- NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder: Find out if your pharmacy falls within the boundaries of a city evacuation zone. Information is subject to change. For the latest information, you can call 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or 212-504-4115 for TTY).
- Sign up for Notify NYC: New York City's official source for information about emergency alerts and important city services.
- Emergency Response Readiness Tool for Medication-Related Preparedness (PDF): Planning tool developed by the University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, that provides guidelines to assist community pharmacists who continue to care for patients throughout emergency preparedness and response phases.
- NYC Small Business Services: Important information and financial opportunities that can support NYC pharmacies before, during and after an emergency.
- Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP): Federal program that helps uninsured patients access needed medications to stay healthy when disaster strikes.
Patient Preparedness Tools
Tools that can be distributed by pharmacies to encourage patients to be prepared for emergencies or evacuation.
- Tips for Prescription Preparedness (PDF): Emergencies can affect your ability to access medications, follow these tips to make sure you are prepared.
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- Personal Health Summary (PDF): Includes all the necessary information about your medications and health that medical providers and others may need to help you during an emergency. You should fill out all the information, print it and keep copies in your wallet or Go Bag. You can also save the card on your computer, mobile device or cloud application.
Health Department Resources
- NYC Medical Reserve Corps: Learn how pharmacists can join the City's Medical Reserve Corps.
- Naloxone and Overdose Prevention in Pharmacies: Information for pharmacies interested in dispensing naloxone, per the NYC standing order.
- Vaccination Information for Pharmacists: Information about the NYC immunization standing order for pharmacists who are interested in providing vaccines at their pharmacy.
- Preparedness Training Materials: Emergency preparedness training from the New York Health Care Coalition including fit testing and respiratory protection program resources.
Additional Resources
- Big Apple Rx: NYC’s official money-saving prescription discount card program.
- Healthcare Ready: Partnership of the private sector bio-pharmaceutical supply chain that helps ensure the continued flow of medicine during severe public health emergencies.
- FEMA Independent Study Courses: Search and take the IS-200.HCA and the IS-700. Learn more about the Incident Command System, emergency response and incident management from a health care perspective. These courses are free, and a certificate can be printed to show successful completion.