Considerations for development of pharmacy support models for COVID-19 alternate care sites.

Purpose: Guidance on alternate care site planning based on the experience of a health-system pharmacy department in preparing for an expected surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases is provided.

Summary: In disaster response situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare institutions may be compelled to transition to a contingency care model in which staffing and supply levels are no longer consistent with daily practice norms and, while usual patient care practices are maintained, establishment of alternate care sites (eg, a convention center) may be necessitated by high patient volumes. Available resources to assist hospitals and health systems in alternate care site planning include online guidance posted within the COVID-19 resources section of the US Army Corps of Engineers website, which provides recommended medication and supply lists; and the Federal Healthcare Resilience Task Force's alternate care site toolkit, a comprehensive resource for all aspects of alternate care site planning, including pharmacy services.