Extreme Weather Disrupts Pharmacy Operations andCommunity Health Resilience

Extreme weather events (EWEs) are known to significantly impact pharmacy operations, infrastructure, and products, according to a study published in Public Health.¹ In turn, this often translates to the need for greater individual awareness among patients self-managing their medications—what researchers considered community health resilience.

“All around the world, people have built their ways of living around the weather that they and their forebears were used to, which leaves them vulnerable to more frequent and severe extremes that are outside past experience,” Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research at the Met Office Hadley Centre, told The Guardian.² “As well as urgently ramping up efforts to reduce emissions to halt global warming, we need to catch up on adaptation to live better with the changes that are already happening.”

As data from The Guardian show, EWEs have significantly ramped up within the past 5 years. Whether researchers and scientists fully understand the true causes of this uptick, it’s important for pharmacies and health systems across the world to be aware of these extreme weather trends in order to protect patients.

Within the last 5 to 10 years, global regions have experienced unprecedented rates of wildfires, flooding, snow, and other community-impacting EWEs.^1,3 Regarding snowfall specifically, as communities across the nation have been preparing for the first major snowstorms of 2026, providers have become more and more keen about the impacts these EWEs can have on patient care.

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“Anytime that you see the possibility of any kind of severe weather, whether it’s snow, ice, hurricanes, severe storms, and things like that, people get nervous,” Shanna Legett, director of pharmacy operations at Friendly Pharmacy Incorporated in Greensboro, North Carolina, told MSN.⁴ “They want to make sure that they can get in and get their medications.”

Amid the concerning increase in these events—and while pharmacists scramble to ensure patients are not overlooked throughout the severe weather—researchers of the current study conducted a review exploring the overall impact of various EWEs on multiple types of health care practices, including pharmacies.¹

Impacts of Floods and Storms on Pharmacy

“This systematic review of reviews aims to comprehensively map the impacts of EWEs on health services and systems across multiple health care delivery settings, including pre-hospital services, hospitals, primary care, elderly care, pharmacies, and public health departments,” continued the authors.¹ “The review seeks to generate insights to anticipate emerging challenges, strengthen preparedness, and identify key indicators for assessing health system performance in response to floods and storms, heatwaves and cold spells, and wildfires.”

First, they explored the impacts of floods and storms—particularly from events like hurricanes. Throughout their exploration of 114 records and reviews published from 2013 to May 2024, they found that floods and storms typically impact 3 aspects of pharmacy operations. These key pharmacy components included infrastructure, equipment, and most importantly, medications.

Citing the 2012 Hurricane Sandy as an example,⁵ researchers explained how EWEs like these can cause damage to pharmacy equipment, supplies, and the pharmacy structure itself. Effects were also found to be heightened after the storm, when e-prescribing and medication dispensing declined and pharmacists were employed to visit shelters and displaced patients in need of care.

Heatwaves, Cold Spells, and Wildfires

When it comes to wildfires, they have been known to affect specific areas disproportionately impacted by changes in climate—California, for example. On top of the specific areas that often experience wildfires, there are concerns regarding specific medical conditions that can be exacerbated by these EWEs.³

“Medication use for obstructive airway diseases rises after wildfires,” they wrote.¹ “A study in Spain included in Youssouf et al (2014) found a 10.3% increase in consumption among male pensioners and a 12.9% increase among female pensioners in affected areas compared to unaffected ones. Dispensation of respiratory medications, including pulmonary relievers, oral steroids, asthma treatments, and anxiolytics, also increases.”

Finally, they touched on extreme heat and cold, explaining how both can impact pharmacy operations as well as the volume of specific medications needed. One of the more obvious impacts is that extreme cold can lead to snowstorms that significantly impact pharmacy access during extended periods of time. This forces pharmacies to be proactive within their communities and relay the importance of patients being proactive as well.^1,4

Heatwaves were also found to impact the dispensing of specific pharmacy products, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, tricyclics, mood stabilizers, addiction treatment drugs, and diuretics.

Although recent events have forced providers and patients in pharmacy and beyond to act proactively, many of these weather-related concerns are nothing new to experienced pharmacists and pharmacy businesses. However, in light of recent events across many US regions, health systems and their communities can never be too prepared for potential system-wide disruptions.

“This review identified and systematized the impacts of EWEs on health services and systems, providing key insights for disaster preparedness,” concluded authors of the study.¹ “Understanding how different hazards affect specific health system components enables targeted actions to mitigate future impacts and strengthen overall health system resilience.”

READ MORE: Public Health Resource Center

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REFERENCES

1. Valente M, Del Prete C, Facci G, et al. The impacts of extreme weather events on health services and systems: a systematic review of reviews. Public Health. 2025;250:106049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106049

2. Harrabin R. NASA data reveals dramatic rise in intensity of weather events. The Guardian. June 17, 2025. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/17/nasa-data-reveals-dramatic-rise-in-intensity-of-weather-events

3. New study says California’s record 2023 snowfall that ended megadrought was a freak accident. CBS News. April 29, 2024. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/new-study-says-california-record-2023-snowfall-ended-megadrought-freak-event/

4. Tear L. Pharmacies, emergency officials urge winter storm preparedness as state of emergency declared. MSN. January 21, 2026. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/pharmacies-emergency-officials-urge-winter-storm-preparedness-as-state-of-emergency-declared/ar-AA1UGPW6

5. Gibbens S. 10 years later, see how superstorm Sandy changed the Northeast. National Geographic. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/10-years-later-see-how-superstorm-sandy-changed-the-northeast