Xopenex

[COBBFIRE]

I am attempting to gather info. about XOPENEX. We would like to start carrying this drug, However, Our medical director has an issue with the packaging and short expiration dates if opened. We do not have the ability to keep it refrigerated while on the trucks. We are a first responder ALS fire department. Any comments are welcome, I am looking to find out exactly how others have gotten around this packaging issue. What do you carry it in? and where do you store it after opening the package? Thanks for your help.

Cobb Fire and Emergency Services
Marietta, GA.

 

[Jon]

Ya know, I've been wondering about it. They had a BIG budget for ER/EMS locally in 2003, they helped sponsor an EMS Week Con-Ed day, as well as many, many free lunches in local ER's. Big push that it was "the next big thing." And not much since.

I'm curious too.

Also, on the same nature of short shelf life and refridgeration, what about Ativan? I keep hearing it only has a few month shelf-life if not refridgerated? anyone have any info on this???


As for how to keep drugs cold - a climate-controlled compartment for the med box is the simple answer, but not always in-budget .

I know that a flight service was carring "something" a few years ago with a VERY short shelf life without refridgeration - don't remember what, just remember that they had a funky box with an icepack in their medbag 2 years ago when I went for a ride-along. No more info than that.


Jon

 

[ndilley]

if i had to guess i'd say the majority of trucks will be having some type of refrigeration systems soon...polyheme is going to be the next big thing in EMS (in my own humble opinion) and if it becomes mainstream like all the trials are saying it will require refrigeration but at least it has a self life of over a year...

 

[TTLWHKR]

no

 

[Strike3]

We typically carry it, although with the shortage, we've been carrying brethine as an alternative to Albuterol.

We have 90% of our trucks with fridges now, and the ones that dont' have a cold bag with 2 freezer packs that are replaced every morning...

 

[FFEMT1764]

We use ativan, and it has as room temp shelf life of 60 days per of state EMS agency...so when we get it from the ER in the narc box, the box has an expiration date no more than 60 days from the date it was put into the pixis at the er...so we end up with 3-6 weeks of useful truck time. As for the xopenex, we are looking into it as well, our issue isnt the temp control as much as the $$$ issue. The number of asthma/copd/emphysema pt's in our county would keep us from ever reaching the expiration period on the drug.