Mass Dispensing and Point of Dispensing Activities

The Yale Center for Public Health Preparedness (Yale CPHP) undertakes a wide range of training, exercise, and educational activities related to mass dispensing, in close collaboration with local health departments/districts and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH).

Mass dispensing is the term used to describe the dispensing of a medication or vaccine to a large group of people in a short period of time during a public health emergency. This might happen during a widespread infectious disease epidemic caused by smallpox or pandemic influenza.

The temporary clinic where mass dispensing is done is called a Points of Dispensing (POD). In order to achieve successful mass dispensing, a POD must be staffed by a large number of workers and volunteers who perform dispensing and supporting activities. Yale CPHP and the CT DPH have created a draft set of core (non-role specific) POD worker competencies. Based on these competencies, a POD worker training needs assessment was developed and implemented, and survey results were compiled.

Yale CPHP and CT DPH have also created a range of resources for mass dispensing training and planning:

Point of Dispensing (POD) Worker Orientation Training

This course provides an orientation to points of dispensing (PODs) intended for all POD workers (staff and volunteers). It focuses on universal (non-role specific) POD worker competencies (as described above). It is available as a slide set or online course. To access the online course, visit the TRAINConnecticut site and search for course #1015249.

Infection Control for Point of Dispensing Workers

This course is intended for all POD workers (staff and volunteers). It covers how infection spreads and how the spread of infection can be prevented in the setting of a Point of Dispensing. It is available as a slide set or online course. To access the online course, visit the TRAINConnecticut site and search for course #1014429.

Mass Dispensing Medical Screener Training

This course is intended for Connecticut personnel who will be acting in the role of medical screener during a mass dispensing operation in Connecticut. It covers the role of the medical screener, diseases that may result in a mass dispensing operation and the use of medical counter measures intended to prevent them. To access the online course, visit the TRAINConnecticut site and search for course #1014669.

Local POD Trainers - roles, strategies and resources

This train-the-trainer workshop is intended for local public health and acute care hospital mass dispensing trainers. It is intended to give learners knowledge, skills and resources that they can use to develop, deliver and evaluate local POD training programs. The workshop covers preparedness-phase and just-in-time training programs and includes a just-in-time training development activity. The workshop materials (slides and notebook) are available here.

Mass Dispensing Toolkit Webcast

This webcast is intended to help Connecticut mass dispensing areas and acute care hospitals make the best possible use of the resources in the Connecticut Mass Dispensing Toolkit.

The aim of the toolkit is to help standardize and advance local mass dispensing planning, operations, and evaluation. It contains the extensively revised Connecticut Mass Dispensing Manual, guidance for two major program reports to DPH and dozens of additional documents, including guidelines, protocols, educational materials, templates, and algorithms.

This training was delivered in a classroom format in Spring 2008, the webcast abbreviates the training for those who were unable to attend. Register to view the webcast on the TRAINConnecticut site by searching for course #1014429