Pharmacy

EMTs provide appropriate and quality pharmaceuticals to the patients they serve.

EMTs have a system in place to safely bring, store, prescribe and dispense medications for the patients they serve.

1. Establish a team formulary, based on the WHO model list of essential medicines50 or equivalent.
2. A documented process for dispensing with clear procedures in line with
   WHO best practice guidelines.51 Medicines dispensed to patients should contain information in an appropriate language for the patient (or in pictorialized form) and include an expiry date.
3. Train and assess staff, in particular, those who do not usually dispense medicines prior to practicing within the EMT. Ensure language barriers are suitably covered by using trained translators or local health-care workers.
4. Establish a standardized and documented process on medication administration that is characterized by safe and timely practices including date and signature of the provider noted in the patient record.
5. Establish a documented process for prescribing medicines including a standardized form for use in outpatient and inpatient areas (as appropriate for the type of EMT).
6. Provide a system to encourage team members to report near-miss or adverse incidents. Medication errors or near-miss incidents involving pharmaceuticals have significant implications on patient safety.
7. No use of medicines for clinical trials should occur without the prior approval and involvement of the ministry of health.
8. Avoid off-label use of medicines due to lack of licenced medicines where possible. Obtain patient informed consent.

1. Include a registered pharmacist in the team composition for Type 3, while a trained pharmacy focal point is considered adequate for Type 2.
2. Ensure processes to access information on medicines if required; this may be through access to specialty resources.

Prescribing form must be legible and include (at a minimum):

• generic drug name and strength
• formulation
• administration route
• administration time or frequency
• prescriber name printed and signature
• date of prescription