Skip to main content
Minnesota Department of Health logo
  • Main navigation

    • Home
    • Data, Statistics, and Legislation
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Health Care Facilities, Providers, and Insurance
    • Healthy Communities, Environment, and Workplaces
    • Individual and Family Health
    • About Us
    • News and Announcements
    • Translated Materials

Main navigation mobile

  • Data, Statistics, and Legislation
  • Diseases and Conditions
  • Health Care Facilities, Providers, and Insurance
  • Healthy Communities, Environment, and Workplaces
  • Individual and Family Health
  • About Us
  • News and Announcements
  • Translated Materials
MDH Logo

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Healthy Communities, Environment and Workplaces
  3. Emergency Preparedness and Response
  4. Medical Countermeasures
Topic Menu

Emergency Preparedness & Response

  • Emergency Preparedness Home
  • Individual/Family Preparedness
  • Disaster Mental/Behavioral Health
  • HAN
  • Legal
  • Medical Countermeasures
  • Plans
  • Minnesota Responds
  • Tactical Communications
  • Training & Exercises
  • Whole Community Approach
  • Health Care Coalitions
  • Medical Surge
  • About EPR

Emergency Preparedness & Response

  • Emergency Preparedness Home
  • Individual/Family Preparedness
  • Disaster Mental/Behavioral Health
  • HAN
  • Legal
  • Medical Countermeasures
  • Plans
  • Minnesota Responds
  • Tactical Communications
  • Training & Exercises
  • Whole Community Approach
  • Health Care Coalitions
  • Medical Surge
  • About EPR
Contact Info
Emergency Preparedness and Response
651-201-5700
Emergency Preparedness & Response Comment Form

Contact Info

Emergency Preparedness and Response
651-201-5700
Emergency Preparedness & Response Comment Form

Medical Countermeasures

In emergencies such as terrorist attacks or pandemics, large numbers of people may be exposed to disease-causing germs. Medical countermeasures (MCMs) are medicines (i.e. antibiotics, antivirals, antitoxins, etc.) that may be given to these exposed people to prevent them from becoming ill. Lives may depend on dispensing MCMs to a large number of people in a short amount of time.

In such an emergency, MDH can request large quantities of MCMs from the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). ASPR maintains a large cache of MCMs called the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which can be quickly mobilized for emergency distribution. MDH then works with local health departments (LHDs) to dispense the MCMs to the public at points of dispensing (POD) sites.

Organizations (i.e. businesses, hospitals, communities of worship, etc.) may choose to enroll as “closed” point of dispensing (CPOD) partners. CPODs dispense medication to their own members and their families. CPODs are mutually beneficial to partner organizations and to local health departments. Contact your community health board (CHB) or LHD to learn how your organization can become a CPOD partner.

Points of Dispensing (PODs)

  • POD PreCheck
    Online screening form people may complete during an anthrax emergency.

  • POD Locator
    During an emergency, find the POD site nearest to you.

  • POD Admin
    QR Code generator for POD staff.

  • Closed Points of Dispensing
    Find out more about how your organization can become a CPOD partner.

  • Bioterrorism Diseases
    Information on bioterrorism agents.

  • Training Courses
    Search MN.TRAIN for "Mass Dispensing" or "Closed POD".

  • CDC ASPR Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Program
    Information, training, newsletters, and more about the CDC's SNS program.
    • SNS CHEMPACK Program
      Places federally owned and maintained antidote assets in all 50 states across the nation.
    • Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management
      U.S. Health and Human Services resources for first responders, first receivers, healthcare providers, and planners for chemical incidents.

Working with Pharmacies

  • Pharmacy Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
    Helping pharmacies have appropriate access to vaccine, information, and supplies.


Tags
  • emergency preparedness
Last Updated: 10/03/2022

Get email updates


Minnesota Department of Health logo

Privacy Policy
Equal Opportunity
Translated Materials
Feedback Form
About MDH
Minnesota.gov
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
Minnesota Department of Health Minnesota Department of health print search share facebook instagram linkedin twitter youtube