In July 2017, BC faced one of the worst wildfire seasons in more than a decade, causing many to need to leave their homes. To ensure a coordinated response and ensure public safety, the Province of British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency on July 7, 2017.
(Interactive BC Active Wildfires map by BC Wildfire Service)
With over 14,000 people displaced from their communities, pharmacies played an important role in providing continuity of care for patients affected by the wildfires.
In response to the emergency, the College reached out to registrants via email, social media and through our website to remind them of the provisions laid out in Professional Practice Policy 25 – Pharmacy Disaster Preparedness, and to provide them with the appropriate College contact for questions related to continuity of care during an emergency.
- The campaign also provided information and resources for displaced patients (e.g. Find a Pharmacy Tool), as well as guidance for pharmacy professionals.
- The College’s wildfire emergency page received an estimated 3,837 page views over the past fiscal year (primarily during the provincial state of emergency).
- The College’s news release 671,000, distributed through CNW had an estimated potential audience of 671,000.
- The College’s Facebook Ads (which ran on Facebook, Instagram, and the Facebook Audience Network) reached an estimated 26,451 people (mostly in BC) and generated an estimated 46,573 impressions over the past fiscal year.
- The College’s twitter posts generated an estimated 10,867 impressions.