Managing Chronic Conditions During Natural Disasters

Do you know how to manage your chronic health issues during emergencies? These resources could save your life.

Updated January 2026

Extreme weather conditions are not new to Australians, but they are becoming more frequent and severe, especially during summer. For people with chronic conditions, situations such as bushfires, cyclones and floods pose additional challenges.

We know that our authorities and volunteers do a terrific job with evacuations, recovery efforts and providing a wide range of support for those affected. However, they can’t be everywhere at once. Also, access to medical supplies and services can be difficult in some situations. Even if you are not currently in a disaster zone, the more you can plan for situations like this, the better.

Some of the situations you could encounter include:

➤ Losing access to medications you rely on daily

➤ Having no electricity for medications that need refrigeration

➤ Losing access to your prescriptions, list of conditions or emergency contacts

➤ Being exposed to bushfire smoke, sudden air pressure changes or extreme heat or cold

➤ Being unable to move to safety due to mobility restrictions

Tips For Managing Medications During a Natural Disaster

You may lose telecommunication access during natural disasters, so consider alternative ways to access your information or seek help without a phone or internet if needed. For example, ask a neighbour to check on you regularly or keep your medications and medical details handy in an emergency pack.

Keep your medications in their original packaging and, as much as is practical, store them away from heat, moisture and sunlight. If possible, aim to have a 14-day supply of your usual medications at home, ready to access in a hurry.

Take a photo of all your medications and prescriptions. Ideally, store those (and any other important documents and photos) on a cloud platform, such as OneDrive or Google Drive, so that you can access them from any device. You could also consider using a password manager app on all your devices so you only need to remember your master password to access all your other passwords.

If you have difficulty accessing your prescription medications, consider these factors.

What are your likely symptoms if you don’t take your medication for a day or more?

➤ Some daily medications, such as steroids, antidepressants, opioids, blood thinners and insulin, should not be ceased suddenly. This is especially the case if the medications have been taken for extended periods and/or at high doses.

➤ It is not advisable to make up for missed doses by taking more than one dose at a time later, as this may increase your risk of developing unwanted side effects.

➤ Ideally, you should talk to your doctor about what to do if you miss one or more doses of your medication beforehand so you can decide on an emergency action plan, such as the My diabetes plan for natural disasters and emergencies. Otherwise, seek medical advice or emergency assistance as soon as possible.

Can you access a pharmacy urgently?

If you have a copy of your prescription, take it to the nearest pharmacy. This can include a hospital pharmacy, though they may not stock the medication you need.

If you don’t have a copy of your prescription, you can still access many medications through a pharmacy in some circumstances. In general, you may be eligible to receive a limited supply without a prescription or with a verbal prescription from your doctor.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) have arrangements in place to support Australians affected by natural disasters and emergencies.

➤ If you do not have your Medicare, DVA or Centrelink card, and you have access to a phone with infrastructure to support phone calls, you can contact Services Australia on 132 011. Alternatively, a pharmacist can contact the PBS Inquiry line 132 290 (press option 1) for assistance with Medicare or concessional details.

➤ In most Australian states and territories, a three-day supply of medication without a prescription, in accordance with state/territory emergency supply provisions, can be supplied by a pharmacist for most medicines.

➤ Continuing Dispensing Arrangements allow pharmacists to provide one supply of eligible medicine(s) without a prescription within a 12-month period. This can happen when there is an immediate need for the medicine, but the PBS prescriber either can’t be contacted or provide an electronic PBS prescription or other prescription.

Medication and equipment safety during power outages

If your medications need to be refrigerated or you use medical equipment at home, you need to be ready for a power outage. Having a Power Outage Plan ready will help you know what to do during a power outage, especially when preparing for a natural disaster. For example, the Power Outage Plan checklist prompts you to consider backup power sources, including batteries and generators.

The NSW Ministry of Health website page, Managing medications during and after bushfire, states:

“If electricity has been cut off for an extended period and as a result the quality of refrigerated medicines has been compromised, the medicines concerned should be discarded, unless the medicine is essential to sustain health (e.g., insulin), in which case the medicine should continue to be used until a new supply is available.

Because temperature-sensitive medicines deteriorate and lose effectiveness if not refrigerated, they should be replaced with a new supply as soon as possible. For example, insulin that is not refrigerated will have a shorter shelf life than the expiration date shown on the package.

Some medicines, such as insulin, which are normally refrigerated, can be kept at room temperature (below 25°C) for a specified number of days while you are using them. See the Consumer Medicines Information for the product.

As part of your household emergency preparedness planning, check with your pharmacist about emergency storage of refrigerated medicines and have a cool pack and cooler bricks on hand for refrigerated medicines. Do not freeze medicines.

Medicines that have been contaminated by floodwater will not be safe to take and should not be taken under any circumstances.

If you are concerned about the safety or storage of a particular medicine, contact your pharmacist or doctor or contact Health Direct on 1800 022 222 for guidance.”

Some medications taken weekly or less frequently, such as biologic medications for autoimmune conditions, remain in the body for several weeks. Your symptoms may worsen, but missing or delaying a dose for a short period should generally not cause any significant complications.

Ensure you know what to do if you miss a dose of any of your medicines. Ask your doctor or pharmacist or check the Consumer Medical Information (CMI) leaflet usually provided with your prescriptions. You can also look up CMIs on the NPS MedicineWise website.

CreakyJoints Australia understands that people with chronic conditions have a vast range of health needs, especially in emergencies. Though we can’t cover them all, we hope you find the following general resources helpful.

Helpful Emergency Resources For People with Chronic Conditions

It is a good idea for all households, businesses and schools to have an emergency plan relevant to your needs. The Australian Government National Emergency Management Agency website has an Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub. Here you’ll find links to a range of emergency planning tools for each state and territory.

If you have specific needs, such as home care services or aids for mobility, communication or neurodiversity, include these in your emergency plan. If you need regular medical services, such as dialysis or chemotherapy, talk to your providers to ensure you all know your emergency contingency strategies. Peak bodies for your condition may also have general advice for you.

The Lifeline website has a Support Toolkit for Natural Disasters to help you Understand the mental health impacts of extreme weather and learn ways to manage stress and build resilience before, during and after a natural disaster.

Your local council, plus state or territory health and emergency departments, will have the most up-to-date advice for your area. You will also find practical advice for managing your health during emergencies on these websites.

➤ Australian Government. Australian Centre for Disease Control. News: cdc.gov.au/newsroom/news-and-articles

➤ Australian Government. Department of Health, Disability and Aging. Support After a Natural Disaster: health.gov.au/topics/emergency-health-management/support-after-a-natural-disaster?language=en#in-an-emergency

➤ Australian Government. National Emergency Management Agency: nema.gov.au

➤ Australian Government. National Emergency Management Agency. Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub. Disability Inclusion and Disasters: knowledge.aidr.org.au/collections/disability-inclusion-and-disasters

➤ Australian Government. National Emergency Management Agency. Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub. Emergency Planning: knowledge.aidr.org.au/collections/emergency-planning

➤ Australian Red Cross. Connecting With At-Risk People During Extreme Weather: redcross.org.au/stories/2026/connection

➤ Australian Red Cross. Resources to Help You: redcross.org.au/emergencies/resources

➤ Collaborating 4 Inclusion. Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR): collaborating4inclusion.org/disability-inclusive-disaster-risk-reduction

➤ Healthdirect: 1800 022 222 (24/7 registered nurse)

➤ Healthdirect. Bushfires and Your Health: healthdirect.gov.au/bushfires-and-your-health

➤ Healthdirect. Virtual Care Clinics: healthdirect.gov.au/virtual-care-clinics

➤ National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Bushfire and Emergency Information: ndis.gov.au/understanding/ndis-and-other-government-services/ndis-and-bushfire-and-emergency-support

➤ Source Kids. Natural disaster preparation: children and teenagers with disability, autism or additional needs: sourcekids.com.au/natural-disaster-preparation-children-and-teenagers-with-disability-autism-or-additional-needs

Condition-specific resources and peak bodies

➤ Arthritis Australia: arthritisaustralia.com.au and 1800 011 041

➤ Australian Heart Foundation. heartfoundation.org.au

➤ Cancer Council: cancer.org.au and 13 11 20

➤ Crohn’s and Colitis Australia: crohnsandcolitis.org.au and 1800 138 029

➤ Diabetes Australia: diabetesaustralia.com.au and 1800 177 055

➤ Kidney Health Australia: kidney.org.au and 1800 454 363

➤ Lung Foundation Australia: lungfoundation.com.au and 1800 654 301

➤ National Diabetes Services Scheme. Diabetes and Natural Disasters: ndss.com.au/naturaldisasters

National Relay Service. How to Make an Emergency Call Using the NRS: accesshub.gov.au/about-the-nrs/how-to-make-an-emergency-call-using-the-nrs

Mental Health Resources

➤ Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au

➤ Lifeline: lifeline.org.au and 13 11 14

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