The purpose of Florida's Antiviral Stockpile program is to assure that anyone who has a prescribed need for medication to treat influenza-like illness has access to it, regardless of their ability to pay. Based on this goal, the state identified two situations in which interventions might be necessary: instances in which individuals are unable to afford antivirals, and times in which pharmacies are not able to meet demand for antivirals out of their own supplies. Thus, the major focus of the program is to reach out to providers who then can ensure that everyone who has been prescribed antivirals has access. To complete this goal the program is working through several dispensation options which include partnering with retail pharmacies to provide the medication for free to people who cannot afford it, and during times of scarcity. As a result, private pharmacies have signed agreements with the state allowing them to dispense medication to people who cannot afford it, as well as to any individual during stated times of crisis-level shortages. In addition to pharmacies and hospitals, county public health authorities are also able to dispense antivirals to individuals who lack the means to purchase them. As of August 2009, the health department had 900,000 courses for adults and children in its stockpile and pushed out 25 percent to all 67 counties while retaining the balance in the State Logistic Response Center. The state is currently partnering with 1,104 pharmacies, most of which are chains, to dispense the antivirals. At the start of the program, the state reached out to eight pharmaceutical chains, of which 6 opted to participate, 1 deferred until January, and 1 has not yet committed. To reach small counties, where large chains may be absent, the state signed dispensing agreements with independent retailers. The state thus far has ten such agreements. Since the purpose of this program is to give access to people who already have prescriptions, it does not include patient outreach. However, some of the individual pharmacies do outreach once they have decided to sign the memoranda of understanding.
