Field testing a head-of-household method to dispense antibiotics.

Objectives: Using a simulated anthrax exposure scenario, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health tested how rapidly and accurately a head-of-household (HoH) point of dispensing (PoD) site with an express dispensing line could provide medication to heads of households collecting antibiotics for all household members.

Methods: The 8 pretrained PoD leadership staff trained the other 42 PoD staff in the hour before the field trial. During the 2-hour field trial, proxy-HoHs used scripts with pertinent information describing household members to complete a HoH PoD intake form.