EMS Chief Says Essential Medications May Not Be Available in Ambulances

One West St. Louis County emergency medical services unit faces a shortage of essential medications. 

 Deputy Chief of EMS Nick Harper states it is getting increasingly difficult to obtain certain medications now, and more are expected to be in short supply in the near future. This could mean that ambulances may not have the medications to treat patients before arrival at hospitals. 

Harper is monitoring the shortages with registry for notification by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Harper told Patch Monday his team has had to shop outside of the typical hospital purchase market, which is costing more.

"Hospitals can't buy enough," Harper said, to furnish the EMS sufficiently.

Some of the primary shortages include pain killers, and drugs that kick up the heartbeat on a patient.

"It's really the injections," Harper said, naming Epinephrine, morphine, and Atropine, for examples.

Reasons? Harper said shortage of raw materials, and the processes to create the drug seem to be lagging behind demand.

For example, in 2008 there were 132 shortages reported to authorities. In 2011, there were 178 shortages reported, Harper said.

Tracking this development could be of interest to residents who serviced by Monarch's House No. 2, at 18424 Wildhorse Creek Rd.