Do you have three days’ worth of medication on you RIGHT NOW?

Not back at your house or out in your car, but immediately available if someone demanded to see it right at this very second?

No?

Then maybe you should consider yourself unprepared for a disaster.

In our disaster volunteer training today, this was one reminder that struck home. Fortunately, I’m not on any meds, so I don’t personally have to worry much about this one. But if you’re a diabetic or have heart problems that require daily pills, what would you do if an earthquake hit and you couldn’t get your hands on them? How long could you go without?

The good news is that, for Hurricane Ike victims, there’s a new Emergency Prescription Assistance Program administrated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But rather than rely on the fact that “your” disaster will be big enough to gain such assistance, you should probably just be prepared. Also helpful: an emergency health information card.

Photo courtesy of bartificial