What do you store your pharmaceuticals in???

[Grady_emt]

We just got new backpacks (lovingly referred to as rocket packs) for storing our drugs in. Formerly we had a smaller (I guess the size of a larger purse) shoulder bag for everything. While they are 2-3 times the size, the new backpacks keep everything much more organized and visible. Also, if you need to restock, each individual box inside can be swapped out instead of taking the whole bag OOS and sending it to the pharmacy.

As it is now there are 4 boxes, a bag with Dopamine and Lidocaine Pre-mix's, a 1000 bag of NS and a 500 bag of D5W, another box with IV supplies and a small sharps container.

The Bag as a whole. The sharps container and some 4x4s are in the L side, NS and D5W are in the R side.

 

[Grady_emt]

The bag opened:

and spread out on the stretcher:

 

[Grady_emt]

The "A" box contains 12 ASA, 2x vials Dexamethasone 4mg/ml, 1x vial MagSulfate 5g/10ml, 6 foils(1g each) of 2% Nitro Paste, 1 bottle Nitro Tabs, 1 20 ml vial NS for mixing, 2x vials Compazine 10mg/1ml, 2x vials Thiamine 100mg/ml, and 6x Albuterol 2.5mg thingys (forget the official name)

The "B" box was set up by field crews when planning, so that on a cardiac arrest, this is the only box needed to be opened for all the needed drugs. It has: 4x Atropine pre-fills, 4x Epi 1:10 Pre-fills, 1x Calcium Chloride 10% Pre-fill, 1x D50 Pre-fill, 4x Lidocaine Pre-Fills, 4x 5ml vials Amiodarone 50mg/ml, Another Mag vial, 1x Narcan MDV, 1x Atropine MDV, 1 Epi MDV

The "C" Box contains: 2x Sodium Bi-Carb Pre-Fills, 2x D50's, 1 Tube Lidocaine Jelly, 2x Lasix MDV, 2 Oral Glucose, 1x 1ml vial Toradol 30mg/ml, 1x Glucagon, 6 more Albuterol, 2x vials Benedryl 50mg/ml, 3x vials Haldol 5mg/ml, 3x vials Adenosine 6mg/2ml, 3x Tylenol suppository 120mg each.

I didnt get any pics (due to getting a call) of the "D" Box which contains our Narcs. We carry 2x Valium 10mg/2ml vials, 2x Versed 5mg/1ml vials, 2x 2ml vials Morphine 5mg/1ml. The IV kit is just a smaller box than the B/C with caths, INTs, Flushes, etc... Oh yeah...in the mesh area on the top flap there is now a Pneumo Kit as well!

 

[KEVD18]

well if that works for your folks then right on. its a nice looking setup. IMHO, its a tad over complicated and wouldnt work out very well with the medics i have worked with. too many seperate compartments, too many pockets.

my preffered system is a pelican case with the lid organizer. open the lid and everything is right there. no worrying about a box or b box or c box. 1 box.

second is the older style tackle box.

 

[Arkymedic]

We just got new backpacks (lovingly referred to as rocket packs) for storing our drugs in. Formerly we had a smaller (I guess the size of a larger purse) shoulder bag for everything. While they are 2-3 times the size, the new backpacks keep everything much more organized and visible. Also, if you need to restock, each individual box inside can be swapped out instead of taking the whole bag OOS and sending it to the pharmacy.

As it is now there are 4 boxes, a bag with Dopamine and Lidocaine Pre-mix's, a 1000 bag of NS and a 500 bag of D5W, another box with IV supplies and a small sharps container.

The Bag as a whole. The sharps container and some 4x4s are in the L side, NS and D5W are in the R side.

Since we are an intermediate service with mainly medic leads, we keep all of our drugs except ASA and NTG (which is in CM and jump bag), Albuterol and Atrovent, oral glucose, and epi-pen in a soft tackle box designated ALS with containers like the ones you show divided into 6 boxes. Box #1- 5 Epi prefills, #2- 5 Atropine prefills, #3- Anti-arryhtmics (5- Lidocaine prefills, 2- 6mg Adenosine, 4- 12 mg Adenosine, 3- Amiodarone prefills, 3- 10mg Verapamil prefills) #4- 2 amps D50W, #5- 2 amps Sodium Bicarb, and the rest of the drugs (2- 40 mg Lasix vials, 1- 10 ml Calcium Chloride vial, 1- 2 gram Magnesium Sulfate vial, 1- 10 gm Procainamide vial, 6- 1mg Epi 1:1000 vials, 2- Thiamine 200 mg vials, 2- Benadryl 50 mg vials, and 3- Narcan 2 mg prefills). We also have premixed dopamine and lidocaine in one of the outer pouches. The outermost pocket has a small 3 ring system designed to protect a fishermans bait. We keep it filled with extra IV caths, IV start kits, alcohol preps, and a sharps shuttle. It costs maybe $20 at walmart and is pretty durable and meets our needs really well.

Our narcotics bag is kept in a locked bank bag inside of locked compartment. It contains 2- tubex syringes, 4- Promethazine, 3- Vecuronium with sterile water vial packages, 3- 10 mg Morphine prefills, 2- Valium 20 mg prefills, 2- Versed prefills, 2- Demerol 50 mg prefills. We also have Succinylcholine x 2 vials we keep in a small medicine refridgerator.

 

[Jon]

A few of the local services are using StatPacks backpacks like this for their ALS kits... it makes sense if a medic has to carry a full drug bag and a monitor, as it leaves a hand free. This also makes sense when the crew is just 2 people total, because then the bag is on your back so you have both hands free to help move the patient.

I like the box system, and in your enviroment, where the hospital pharmacy supplies your drugs, it makes sense. I don't see the same need at most of the local services, because they just resupply at their stations.

Looks like a sharp set-up. I really like the embroidery. Looks much more professional than Black Sharpie.

 

[medic8613]

We use the standard Sears issue tackle box for all except narcotics. We keep our narcs in a locked metal box...similar to the metal cash boxes people use in place of a cash register.

In the IV kit we also have 1000ml NSS, and (2 each of) epi, atropine, lidocaine, narcan, 1 amp of D50, and 1 vial of adenosine, along with several NSS prefills.

 

[emtwacker710]

here at WGF EMS we keep all of our ALS drugs locked in a blue Iron Duck bag and then that bag along with the adult intubation kit is locked in a cabinet in the rig, as for our narcs, we carry 2 right now, morphine and valium they are locked in a safe that you need your key phob and keypad code to access...we got a bit of security when it comes to our drugs

 

[rmellish]

Thats spiffy...we just use our pockets...

Plastic tackle box type of deal for most meds, lockbox for the narcs..

 

[firecoins]

If the cops are coming, I store them in various hollow bodily areas. Pictures to come after the trial.

 

[Ridryder911]

If the cops are coming, I store them in various hollow bodily areas. Pictures to come after the trial.

Do they allow internet access in correctional facilities..?

R/r 911

 

[paramedix]

Well organized!

 

[mycrofft]

Thanks Grady.

I'm upgrading our drug kits and you got me out of my rut.

 

[KEVD18]

and it only took 7 months. must have been one hell of a rut!

 

[TransportJockey]

I like your setup better than our thomas packs.

 

[mycrofft]

KEVD18, the rut is deep and lined with imbeciles.

Everyone adds and takes out what they want. I'm going to make up a throwdown where either everything's glued into place, or there's razor blades hidden everywhere.h34r:
Used to have the old Plano 747's with seals in our exam rooms. Someone just busted the seals and stole the valium and phenobarbital. Time and again.
Right now we're using a travel cosmetics organizer in a steel cashbox (my first draft attempt on my own dime, never updated whiel I was deskjockying, and no narcs in it.

 

[tydek07]

First, we put the drugs in those fish box type boxes, to keep them in order and neat... Then we place that in our "First In" bag. That bag contains IV supplies, medications (except Fent.), one of our intubation kits, Pediatric kit, BVM's, pulse ox, glucometer, and suction.

As for our Fentanyl, we keep that in a double lock box on the ambulance wall.

 

[m_b_williamson]

i just like my dept's soft cover medic bags, ones for airway, ones for iv, and ones for ALS drugs, and then theres a box for BLS, it seems to work very well because besides one zipper, everything is held in with elastic stretch fabric you just flip back and forth between the three pharm flaps and thats it.