Guest guest Posted June 2, 2001 Report Share Posted June 2, 2001 Address those issues with your company in writing. You might be surprised how effective that can be. Most of these problems are easy to fix and may be addressed further in your guidelines and policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2001 Report Share Posted June 2, 2001 Reply follows your questions: M M wrote: > I was wondering if you could help me. I am a paramedic and work for a private service in Houston. My company is in serious violation of many major city and state rules. > > 1. Our Lidocaine expired 6-1-01. According to the state, it expired at 12:01am on the 1st...my company is keeping it on the trucks through 12:01 on the 2nd...and now we've found out that we don't have any Lido to replace the old stuff with...so we have MICU units on the road this weekend without current Lido...and to make matters worse, expired Lido was administered to a pt. > The medication is valid until midnight on 6-1-01. After midnight you would be required to pull it off the shelf and from any and all kits that are in service. Administering an expired drug is a major problem. There are many safety reasons that the FDA puts expiration dates on drugs and I am sure you can figure it out as to why. > > 2. Our narcs/paralytics are not kept under a double lock...they are in a clear plastic case which is kept in a poorly secured cabinet and it's commonplace to find Stadol or Versed laying on counters in the supply room. We also have Basics signing out the narcs for their paramedic partners and we are returning our narcs to non-medical personnel (supply techs). I'm not sure if all of the issues regarding the narcs are in violation or not, but I'd like to know. > It really sounds like TDH is going to have to become involved if the Provider is intentionally ignoring the rules. Keep in mind that there are only a few TDH EMS inspectors to stay on top of things and many times they are snowed under. It never hurts to make a phone call and inform the proper officials of the situation. There is no violation for returning any type of equipment to a supply tech. That is what there job function is. A supply room that is correctly > operated and maintained can and should be able to account for any and all company property under its jurisdiction. If proper narcotic procedures are followed (remember there are FEDERAL laws that pertain to this as well) and the crew signs the drugs in and out and can account for all of it from the beginning of their shift to the end of their shift then they are covered.Company policies should always be followed when dealing with narcotics. > > 3. We have some medics of all levels at the company that have committed serious protocol violations...administering incorrect drugs to pts, not using C-spine/backboard percautions on fall pts with injury...Basics taking vent calls...recent code pts not being put on a monitor or oxygen....not treating blood sugar readings of 'Lo'...ect....you'd be amazed...the company has been advised of these protocol issues and is choosing not to address them. > > You need to inform your medical director of any and all protocol violations or the MD designee. You do have a moral obligation to not only protect the PATIENT being treated and/or transported but not reporting any laws being violated is also in it self a crime. > I am concerned about all of these issues, but at this moment, I am most concerned regarding MICU units on the road without the proper drugs. Keep in mind that the ambulance does not have to stock equipment you have listed if it is being operated as a BLS unit. If a crew is doing BLS transfers and it is only operating as a BLS unit then the only equipment that it is required to carry is 1) what TDH requires for the BLS unit and 2) what the protocols signed by the Medical Director state it is to have also. > > > Can you offer any suggestions? I'd like to keep this e-mail in the strictest of confidence, until I can forward it to the correct people....I'd like to remain anonymous as much as possible to protect my postition within the company. > > I can assure you that by posting a email on this forum will not be keep confidential. This is a public forum and anyone can participate and read all that is posted. I applaud you for questioning what you believe are ethical procedure violations however, you need to be sure that you have the complete and accurate information. > > Thank you. > > MGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2001 Report Share Posted June 2, 2001 hope the person who wrote these questions has an attorney just in case he/she finds out they don't have a job in a few weeks. hope this person is protected under the whistle blower portion of the law. Get a copy of your employee file now as they " find " things to put into it for you if they find out the author of the letter.... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2001 Report Share Posted June 2, 2001 I have worked for a few of the privet EMS companies in Houston and they are not as a rule concerned with the rules as they more concerned with making money. One of the reasons that I have been " black balled' in that area is because I am rather vocal about that. Really sucks by telling the truth I cannot get a job with a decent company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2001 Report Share Posted June 2, 2001 Actually, and it has been a few months since I last delved into TDH's rules on this so my memory may be fuzzy. An ambulance licensed as BLS with ALS or MICU capability does not have to carry the equipment for ALS or MICU IF they are being operated at the BLS level. But! The equipment and supplies have to be readily available to stock that unit at the highest level it is certified. Chambers, AAS, LP " J. Berkley " wrote: > Reply follows your questions: > > M M wrote: > > > I was wondering if you could help me. I am a paramedic and work for a private service in Houston. My company is in serious violation of many major city and state rules. > > > > 1. Our Lidocaine expired 6-1-01. According to the state, it expired at 12:01am on the 1st...my company is keeping it on the trucks through 12:01 on the 2nd...and now we've found out that we don't have any Lido to replace the old stuff with...so we have MICU units on the road this weekend without current Lido...and to make matters worse, expired Lido was administered to a pt. > > > The medication is valid until midnight on 6-1-01. After midnight you would be required to pull it off the shelf and from any and all kits that are in service. Administering an expired drug is a major problem. There are many safety reasons that the FDA puts expiration dates on drugs and I am sure you can figure it out as to why. > > > > 2. Our narcs/paralytics are not kept under a double lock...they are in a clear plastic case which is kept in a poorly secured cabinet and it's commonplace to find Stadol or Versed laying on counters in the supply room. We also have Basics signing out the narcs for their paramedic partners and we are returning our narcs to non-medical personnel (supply techs). I'm not sure if all of the issues regarding the narcs are in violation or not, but I'd like to know. > > > It really sounds like TDH is going to have to become involved if the Provider is intentionally ignoring the rules. Keep in mind that there are only a few TDH EMS inspectors to stay on top of things and many times they are snowed under. It never hurts to make a phone call and inform the proper officials of the situation. There is no violation for returning any type of equipment to a supply tech. That is what there job function is. A supply room that is correctly > > operated and maintained can and should be able to account for any and all company property under its jurisdiction. If proper narcotic procedures are followed (remember there are FEDERAL laws that pertain to this as well) and the crew signs the drugs in and out and can account for all of it from the beginning of their shift to the end of their shift then they are covered.Company policies should always be followed when dealing with narcotics. > > > > 3. We have some medics of all levels at the company that have committed serious protocol violations...administering incorrect drugs to pts, not using C-spine/backboard percautions on fall pts with injury...Basics taking vent calls...recent code pts not being put on a monitor or oxygen....not treating blood sugar readings of 'Lo'...ect....you'd be amazed...the company has been advised of these protocol issues and is choosing not to address them. > > > > > You need to inform your medical director of any and all protocol violations or the MD designee. You do have a moral obligation to not only protect the PATIENT being treated and/or transported but not reporting any laws being violated is also in it self a crime. > > > I am concerned about all of these issues, but at this moment, I am most concerned regarding MICU units on the road without the proper drugs. > > Keep in mind that the ambulance does not have to stock equipment you have listed if it is being operated as a BLS unit. If a crew is doing BLS transfers and it is only operating as a BLS unit then the only equipment that it is required to carry is 1) what TDH requires for the BLS unit and 2) what the protocols signed by the Medical Director state it is to have also. > > > > > > > Can you offer any suggestions? I'd like to keep this e-mail in the strictest of confidence, until I can forward it to the correct people....I'd like to remain anonymous as much as possible to protect my postition within the company. > > > > > I can assure you that by posting a email on this forum will not be keep confidential. This is a public forum and anyone can participate and read all that is posted. I applaud you for questioning what you believe are ethical procedure violations however, you need to be sure that you have the complete and accurate information. > > > > > Thank you. > > > > MGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2001 Report Share Posted June 3, 2001 As it was stated before, you could place your concernes in writing and give it to the supervisor or owner of the company and see who far that will go in corrected the problem. If this does not help, you can file a complaint with TDH and you do not have to give your name. Some of the violations that you have listed, could be TDH violations. Most all places have their narcs locked up under double locks. If the truck is being used as a BLS unit, the EMT's should have reason to check the narcs because they can't use them. This sounds like a company that has let things get out of hand and if this has been an on-going problem don't look for them to correct anything. I would suggest that you leave this company before it's hit with violations. If you are the medic on the truck, you are responsible for what is in the unit (expired drugs) and what is not on the truck or not secured properly. Unsecured narcs. The code pt that you take about, what that a BLS or MICU call? You can answer these off list via private e-mail if you wish. Wayne > >Reply-To: >To: < > >Subject: Violations >Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 01:08:47 -0500 > > >I was wondering if you could help me. I am a paramedic and work for a >private service in Houston. My company is in serious violation of many >major city and state rules. > >1. Our Lidocaine expired 6-1-01. According to the state, it expired at >12:01am on the 1st...my company is keeping it on the trucks through 12:01 >on the 2nd...and now we've found out that we don't have any Lido to replace >the old stuff with...so we have MICU units on the road this weekend without >current Lido...and to make matters worse, expired Lido was administered to >a pt. > >2. Our narcs/paralytics are not kept under a double lock...they are in a >clear plastic case which is kept in a poorly secured cabinet and it's >commonplace to find Stadol or Versed laying on counters in the supply room. > We also have Basics signing out the narcs for their paramedic partners >and we are returning our narcs to non-medical personnel (supply techs). >I'm not sure if all of the issues regarding the narcs are in violation or >not, but I'd like to know. > >3. We have some medics of all levels at the company that have committed >serious protocol violations...administering incorrect drugs to pts, not >using C-spine/backboard percautions on fall pts with injury...Basics taking >vent calls...recent code pts not being put on a monitor or oxygen....not >treating blood sugar readings of 'Lo'...ect....you'd be amazed...the >company has been advised of these protocol issues and is choosing not to >address them. > >I am concerned about all of these issues, but at this moment, I am most >concerned regarding MICU units on the road without the proper drugs. > >Can you offer any suggestions? I'd like to keep this e-mail in the >strictest of confidence, until I can forward it to the correct >people....I'd like to remain anonymous as much as possible to protect my >postition within the company. > >Thank you. > >MGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : >http://explorer.msn.com > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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