How much medication should I keep on hand for an emergency?

Build toward a 30-day buffer of any prescription you depend on, kept ahead of your current supply and rotated so it never expires. Start with a 7-day buffer if a 30-day one is not yet possible. Ask your prescriber and pharmacist about a vacation override or a 90-day fill, which many insurance plans allow. Keep the buffer with a written continuity plan for what to do if your pharmacy stays closed past two weeks.

How should I store medications that need refrigeration during a power outage?

An unopened refrigerator keeps food and medication cold for about four hours; a full freezer holds temperature for roughly 48 hours. For longer outages, use an insulated medication bag with cold packs, and know your medication’s specific temperature range, which is on the label or available from your pharmacist. Some medications tolerate brief warming and others do not, so confirm rather than assume. For essential refrigerated medications, a portable power station running a small cooler is the most reliable backup.

What medical information should I keep accessible in an emergency?

Keep a portable summary of allergies, current medications and dosages, ongoing conditions, blood type, and insurance information, on paper and on a USB drive or phone. If you arrive at an unfamiliar emergency room, your history is not in their system, and a clear summary speeds treatment and prevents dangerous drug interactions. Include your providers, pharmacies, and the nearest emergency room, since your phone may be dead when you need those numbers.

How do I keep a CPAP or other medical device running during an outage?

First, list every powered medical device with its wattage and how many hours a day it runs, so you can size the backup you need. A portable power station rated for your device’s draw covers most home outages, and many CPAP machines have low-power DC options that stretch battery life. Register with your electric utility’s medical baseline or life support program, which flags your household for priority restoration and advance notice of planned shutoffs.

What should I plan for if my regular caregiver is unavailable?

Identify at least one backup caregiver who is willing and able to step in, and make sure they know the basics before an emergency, not during one. Write care instructions someone unfamiliar could follow: medication schedule, dietary restrictions, mobility help needed, and how to operate any equipment. If anyone in the household has mobility, cognitive, or sensory needs that affect evacuation or sheltering, document those so helpers, responders, or shelter staff can act appropriately.

Domain Checklist

Medical Preparedness Checklist. Keep the care going when the routine breaks.

This checklist is about continuity of care, not the first aid kit. It covers what keeps a household healthy when a pharmacy closes, the power fails, or the usual caregiver cannot be there.

30 days

medication buffer goal

14 days

plan for pharmacy closure

backup caregiver, minimum

first aid kit items here

Step 1

Medications and Continuity.

A missed medication can turn a manageable condition into an emergency. Build a buffer and a plan for when resupply is interrupted.

Medical

Write your medication list with dosages and contacts
Review your medication list for accuracy
Build a 7-day medication buffer
Extend your medication buffer to 30 days
Confirm your medication buffer is current and not expired
Write a medication continuity plan for a 14-day pharmacy closure
Identify what happens if your pharmacy remains closed past day 14
Get an insulated medication bag and cold packs
Check whether your medication storage location stays cool during a summer outage

Step 2

Medical Records and Access.

Your medical history is not in every system. Portable records speed treatment when you arrive somewhere unfamiliar.

Medical

Write down backup medical contacts
Confirm your medical information is accessible if your phone is lost or destroyed

Documents

Keep portable copies of critical medical records (allergies, conditions, blood type, insurance cards)
Print a list of your providers, pharmacies, and nearest ER and urgent care locations

Step 3

Medical Devices and Power.

Powered medical devices need a plan for outages. Know your load, and know your backup.

Device Power

Get a portable power station for your medical device

Medical

Plan how your medical device stays powered for a full 14-day outage
List all powered medical devices with wattage and daily runtime hours
Register with your utility company's medical baseline or life support program

Step 4

Caregiver Planning.

Care that depends on one person is fragile. A backup caregiver and written instructions keep it going.

Medical

Identify a backup caregiver if the primary caregiver is unavailable
Write care instructions that someone unfamiliar could follow
Document any mobility, cognitive, or sensory needs that affect evacuation or shelter-in-place

Gear

Essentials. Start here.

A few items keep medications viable and devices powered through a disruption.

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Medical Preparedness Checklist. Keep the care going when the routine breaks.

Medications and Continuity.

Medical

Medical Records and Access.

Medical

Documents

Medical Devices and Power.

Device Power

Medical

Caregiver Planning.

Medical

Essentials. Start here.

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