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How hurricanes can affect your prescription medicine

Posted at 7:47 AM, Sep 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-27 21:27:34-04

Many businesses are affected when a hurricane hits, but your local pharmacy is not one you would usually expect. 

Local pharmacists say your prescription medication is possibly affected when big storms hit southern states.

For example, ahead of Hurricane Irma, the Finksburg Pharmacy got an alert that one of its wholesale suppliers would likely have to close during the hurricane.

The closure could have left patients without certain medicines for up to five days.           

Luckily, the pharmacy was able to plan ahead to make sure customers got what they needed on time.

Pharmacist Ray Cary says local drug stores are constantly keeping an eye on the weather ahead of major weather, 

"When things are coming from southern states that are hit with heavy weather and things like that, absolutely. And even during the winter time when there's heavy snow coming from the Midwest and stuff, we certainly worry about that."

Cary says that depending on the pharmacy, and when they placed their orders, some customers throughout our area may have seen prescription drug delays after Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.