Strategic National Stockpile
April 22, 2005

The Strategic National Stockpile 1.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once Federal and local authorities agree that the SNS is needed, medicines will be delivered to any state in the United States within 12 hours. Each state has plans to receive and distribute SNS medicine and medical supplies to local communities as quickly as possible.

• The medicine in the SNS is free for everyone.
• Federal, state and local community planners are working together to ensure that the SNS medicines will be delivered to the affected area to protect you and your family if there is a terrorist attack.

Determining and Maintaining SNS Assets

To determine and review the composition of the SNS Program assets, Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider many factors, such as:

• current biological and/or chemical threats,
• the availability of medical material,
• ease of dissemination of pharmaceuticals, and
• medical vulnerability of the US civilian population.

The SNS Program ensures that the medical material stock is rotated and kept within potency shelf-life limits. This involves quarterly quality assurance/quality control checks on all 12-hour Push Packages, annual 100% inventory of all 12- hour Push Package items, and inspections of environmental conditions, security, and overall package maintenance.

Supplementing State and Local Resources

The SNS is organized for flexible response. The SNS is designed to supplement and re-supply state and local public health agencies in the event of a national emergency anywhere and at anytime within the Unites States or its territories.

CDC.Gov, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Strategic National Stockpile, January 20, 22005.