Tooele to test meds from drive-throughs

Most people who use a drive-through lane for drugs do so at a pharmacy, but Tooele County residents may be getting an antidote at the local credit union drive-through, in the event of a fast-moving disease outbreak or chemical or biological disaster.

The Tooele County Health Department will hold a mock drill for disaster medication distribution from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 21, testing a system of dispensing preventive medications via the drive-up window at two local credit unions.

The drill is designed to help health officials test the efficiency of the distribution system, which they hope would reach the entire at-risk population within 24 to 48 hours.

Residents will drive up to teller windows at two Heritage West Credit Union branches with pre-filled authorization for the "medication distribution." They will send the authorization through the cash-handling tube and receive a gold dollar in return, simulating the medication that would be dispensed in an emergency.