EMTALA and IFT

[18G]

Have a question regarding EMTALA and transferring facilities obligation to send required medications along on the transport. Do sending facilities have an obligation to send medications along with the EMS crew that the patient may need while being transported even if the same medications are carried onboard as part of licensure requirements?

For example, a patient is being transferred with a fracture and needs pain management for the ride... is the hospital obligated to meet the patients needs by sending the meds if the ambulance service requests?

Our protocols and policy state sending facilities should send the meds yet when I asked the ED staff declined and my supervisor said they didn't have to and we can't force them. Under EMTALA it appears that the sending facility is directly responsible for the patient while being transferred and must ensure appropriate staffing and equipment which I would interpret to include medications as well.

If we have the meds onboard why would I ask for em? Because after every single medication we use, our entire drug box get's sealed and switched out for a new one which generates forms and paperwork to be filled out every time. It's just easier to have the med from the sending.

 

[usalsfyre]

I really don't think your going to win this one based on "it's easier", especially when Schedule IIs are involved.

 

[Veneficus]

I found this to be helpful recently

http://www.emtala.com/faq.htm

 

[18G]

It is easier but that is not the driving force behind the question. There are directives that specifically state that the sending facility must (with the word "must" capitalized and bolded ) send required medications which specifically relates to paralytics, sedatives, and analgesia.

Is this a "must" as a result of EMTALA?

 

[awesomemedic]

If they are requesting your company to transport, full and well knowing what your unit carries, then they are sending the patient with the proper medications. They just happen to come from your med box and not theirs. It's a matter of interpretation.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Yes, they are supposed to supply the Med if they need it and you don't have it, yet are allowed to carry it.

If you have the Med, then they don't have to supply it because the pt already has access to the medication.

 

[DrParasite]

For example, a patient is being transferred with a fracture and needs pain management for the ride... is the hospital obligated to meet the patients needs by sending the meds if the ambulance service requests?

Lets go simpler. If a COPD person is on 24/7 oxygen, is the sending facility required to send an oxygen cylinder with the person? a medication is a medication is a medication.

from a billing standpoint, will you be billing the patient or insurance company if you administer the medication?

From an accountability standpoint, you know where you medications come from, you know they aren't expired, were stored appropriately, and know they were purchased from a reputable source. Can you say with 100% certainty the same for the medications from the other place? do you want to take the risk?

If you don't have the medications, that's a little different. But if you have the medication, use it, since you know everything about it.

Our protocols and policy state sending facilities should send the meds yet when I asked the ED staff declined and my supervisor said they didn't have to and we can't force them.

sounds like upper management should revise that policy and procedure, unless it's a request not mandatory.

If we have the meds onboard why would I ask for em? Because after every single medication we use, our entire drug box get's sealed and switched out for a new one which generates forms and paperwork to be filled out every time. It's just easier to have the med from the sending.

it's job security for the one guy who gets paid to swap out and restock the drug boxes. every time is a little OCD IMO, but if that's what upper management wants done....