AED Prescription

[MMiz]

Hi,

We have the AED for our school, and we have a doctor who is willing to act as medical director, and now I need to know how I go about making it official. Is there a prescription or certain form he should fill out? I'm lost. Any help would be great!

 

[FF/EMT Sam]

Can't you just put the AED in a public place (e.g. the cafeteria) and let the most qualified person on scene use it? AEDs are designed for civillians to be able to use them, so I don't see why you need a prescription.

Am I missing something here?

 

[akflightmedic]

The FDA did away with prescriptions for AEDs two years ago or more, maybe three.

ANyone can purchase them online now, no doctor needed.

You do not need a doctor to act as medical control. However, if you are placing one in a school, you need to check with the schoolboards legal representation, the county,city whomever.

There may be laws requiring certain conditions being met such as a daily/weekly log with regards to inspecting the equipment and making sure it is in service, training an adequate number of staff members to respond and be able to handle the situation,etc.

I remember a few years back when a school district paid out a massive lawsuit because even though they had an AED and staff members trained in the usage, they failed to defibrillate the child in cardiac arrest. Why did this happen?

Because no one could find the AED pads. Where were the pads? They were in the flap of the AED. They went through typical AED training but was never told the pads were stored in the flap. These are teachers not emergency responders so there is a certain level of panic, especially when it involves a child. Lesson learned: Do real scenarios, hooking everything up, responding from where the AED is kept, not just haviing everything all hooked up in a class and saying clear, analyze shock.

 

[ffemt8978]

I thought that they did away with the prescription requirement for only one model, and not all of them (but I may be wrong).

 

[MMiz]

I thought that they did away with the prescription requirement for only one model, and not all of them (but I may be wrong).

You are correct. Currently only the Philips HeartStart OnSite/Philips HeartStart Home (same thing, different name) does not require an Rx.

That said, I'm not sure what an Rx for an AED looks like.

 

[akflightmedic]

Disp: 1 AED and set of pads

Instructions: Use as necessary any amount of shocks required for one patient at a time. After use, replace with loaner until AED rep reconditions original one.

Refills: 6 refills before 1/10/2012.




Sorry, I couldnt resist.

 

[Chimpie]

I thought that they did away with the prescription requirement for only one model, and not all of them (but I may be wrong).

You are correct. Currently only the Philips HeartStart OnSite/Philips HeartStart Home (same thing, different name) does not require an Rx.

That said, I'm not sure what an Rx for an AED looks like.

It literally can be a Rx saying the make/model of the AED made out to the school, or a letter from the doc saying that he recommends the usage of an AED for "X" school.

It doesn't take much. It just needs to be on file with your AED rep.

 

[c-spine]

Disp: 1 AED and set of pads

Instructions: Use as necessary any amount of shocks required for one patient at a time. After use, replace with loaner until AED rep reconditions original one.

Refills: 6 refills before 1/10/2012.

:beerchug: amen to that. I can just see it - a nursing home/CBRF where you have the baskets of a resident's medications... you've got the AED with the little rx sticker under 'PRN' meds... hehe