In the days following Hurricane Maria, Elliot Pacheco’s pharmacy, Farmacia Reyes wasn’t able to fill a single prescription for its customers.
“Our main concern was communication. We couldn’t process the scripts so we didn’t know if the medicine was covered by a health plan. So, what I did as owner is, I told my staff, give them their pills. I really don’t care. I’ll do something after we get the communications back on,” Pacheco said.
It took Elliot 12-days to find a supplier that was able to process claims for his customers. Farmacia Reyes was the only pharmacy open in its region immediately following the hurricane and the only place for the nearly 50,000 residents of Cayey, Puerto Rico, to go for medication.
Cayey is a mountain town of 50,000 people that was hit hard when Maria came through in September of 2017.
The town was unable to communicate, was without power and could not get outside help for a week.
“I stayed here with my wife, for like two weeks. When we went out the first day she started crying because we saw all the structures that were down, the trees, houses completely lost, and people died,” Elliot said.
Elliot says his experience after Hurricane Maria has helped him better prepare for future natural disasters.
With three current storms brewing in the Atlantic, Elliot feels prepared with over 900-gallons of diesel fuel on his roof, a generator and a satellite to ensure communications.
“We need to survive and keep working, you will get prepared no matter what. If the government helps you or not, you have to get prepared. If you count on the government for everything, you will be closing the doors to your business after one week bc they will not come very fast,” Pacheco said.
— Alison Spann
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