non-pharmaceutical intervention (epidemiology) non-pharmaceutical intervention (epidemiology) in epidemiology, a non-pharmaceutical intervention (npi) is any method used to reduce the spread of an epidemic disease without requiring pharmaceutical drug treatments. examples of non-pharmaceutical interventions that reduce the spread of infectious diseases include wearing a face mask and staying away from sick people. this article is about the specific use of the term in epidemiology. for the general concept, see non-pharmaceutical intervention. the us centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) points to personal, community, and environmental interventions. npi have been recommended for pandemic influenza at both local and global levels, and studied at large scale during the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the covid-19 pandemic. npis are a set of measures that can be utilized at any time, and are used in the period between the emergence of an epidemic disease and the deployment of an effective vaccine. types choosing to stay home to prevent the spread of symptoms of a potential sickness, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing one's hands on a regular basis are all examples of non-pharmaceutical interventions. another example would include administrators of schools, workplaces, community areas, etc., taking proper preventive action and reminding people to take precaution when need be in order to avoid the spread of disease. most npis are simple, requiring little effort to put into practice and if implemented correctly, could save millions of lives. hand hygiene main article: hand washing hand washing can be done with soap and water, or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers. hand washing is a practice already in use in many countries in order to prevent the spread of communicable disease. although alcohol-based rubs may be too expensive in some settings, soap and water hand sanitisation is among the most cost-effective preventative measures. respiratory etiquette