As part of its Be Prepared, Not Scared Campaign, The Prescription Center is offering a free telephone consultation to businesses and consumers regarding hygienic measures they can take to be protected, without dramatically changing their daily routine. In addition to the consultation, the pharmacy has swine flu kits, called Stay Healthy kits, that contain the right mix if products such as: anti-viral/anti-bacterial Kleenex, anti-viral/anti-bacterial hand wipes that can also be used for a telephone or work station, anti-viral/anti-bacterial hand cleanser, face masks, anti-viral/anti-bacterial janitorial supplies, etc. Each kit is customized for the industry a business is in, with a careful attention to how that business interacts with its customers. Retailers, Rental Car Agencies, Hotels, Movie Theaters, Office Workers, Health Care workers, Public Transportation Employees ..the list goes on, each have unique needs in protecting their employees and their customers, states Nassir. The Stay Healthy kit is designed to protect employers, employees and consumers. Through Prescription Center ™s consultation out-reach, businesses can obtain information regarding which practices and products best suit their situation.

Legal opinions support Nassir ™s position. According to Los Angeles, California-based Attorney, Asha Dhillon, Esq., With the surge of H1N1, employers are put in a unique and somewhat precarious position. Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act ("OSHA"), every employer has a general duty to provide its employees with a safe work place, which is 'free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm' (29 U.S.C.?§ 654 (a)). Similarly, California Labor Code Section 6400 et al. places a burden on an employer to protect the health and safety of its employees. Consequently, an employer that fails to adequately protect its employees from H1N1 may be subject to liability under OSHA and the Labor Code, especially in a situation where one employee has already acquired the virus.

Accordingly, employers are strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines that the CDC and U.S. Department of Homeland Security have published on how to prepare for and deal with the H1N1 influenza. These guidelines suggest that employers educate their employees on how to avoid influenza risk factors by: improving hand hygiene, frequently cleaning commonly touched surfaces, using tissues to cover coughs and sneezes, among other things. Therefore, although not required, a pro-active approach of providing employees with anti-viral supplies, consistent with the guidelines, would be prudent.

Source: The Prescription Center Pharmacy