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Susan Manko
Director
Telephone: 412-586-9771

University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Professor Writes Pharmacy Preparedness Guide

PITTSBURGH, March 26, 2003 Free copies of a book written to help pharmacy departments devise an emergency preparedness plan to deal with a potential chemical or biological attack were recently distributed to 6,500 pharmacies throughout the United States.

The book, Biological and Chemical Terrorism: A Pharmacy Preparedness Guide, was written by Edward P. Krenzelok, Pharm.D., one of the countrys foremost authorities on poisons and published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). ASHP saw a need to develop a resource to better prepare institutional pharmacies for these forms of terrorism and distributed the book through an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca, Inc.

Dr. Krenzelok is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center at Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Featuring a comprehensive review of the agents most likely to be used in a biological or chemical attack, this new resource provides emergency planners with a starting point for their readiness efforts. The book also includes a brief history of biological and chemical terrorism and an extensive list of resources to help pharmacists develop a preparedness plan.

Our nations hospitals and health systems must be poised to treat victims of terrorism, said ASHP President Debra S. Devereaux, M.B.A., FASHP. It is critical that we provide our members with the tools they will need to take a leadership role in the emergency preparedness activities at their practice sites.

Additional copies of the book may be purchased by contacting ASHPs customer service department at 301-657-4383 or by visiting the ASHP website at www.ashp.org.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) is a major international health care business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of ethical (prescription) pharmaceuticals and the supply of health care services. Please visit their website at www.astrazeneca-us.com.

ASHP is the 30,000-member national professional association that represents pharmacists who practice in hospitals, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, home care and other components of health care systems. ASHP, which has a long history of medication error prevention efforts, believes that the mission of pharmacists is to help people make the best use of medicines. Assisting pharmacists in fulfilling this mission is ASHP's primary objective. The Society has extensive publishing and educational programs designed to help members improve their professional practice, and it is the national accrediting organization for pharmacy residency and pharmacy technician training programs. For more information, visit ASHPs Web site, www.ashp.org.

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