Title: Module 7 Overview
Course: EMS 1119 Emergency Medical Technician > Section: Module VII Pharmacology

The "roots" of pharmacology date back to Babylonian times when plants were used to relieve symptoms of disease. Today there are over 250 million prescriptions filled annually and the manufacture of legal pharmaceuticals represents a large portion of our medical economy. There are hundreds of classes of medications being prescribed to treat chronic and acute conditions.

As an EMT, you must have an understanding of basic pharmacology. With the expanded scope of practice, EMTs may now administer a limited group of medications. Depending upon an agencies protocol, EMTs may administer a limited group of medications as well as assist patients in the self-administration of drugs for emergent conditions such as respiratory distress, cardiac emergencies or allergic reactions.

The administration of any pharmacological agent requires a detailed understanding of its indications of use, mechanism of action, side effects, duration of action as well as its complications. In this module, the basic knowledge to physiology introduced in the earlier modules his helpful.  Beyond administering medications, treating and transporting patients who take a as few and one but and many as a dozen medications will be a your responsibility to accurately capture and record this information in your patient care documentation and pass along to the receiving care provider. Again, take nothing for granted when dealing with patients medications.

The EMTs role in Advanced Life Support Assist can not be understated. As Paramedics rely on pharmacotherapy to treat many conditions, a well-trained EMT is invaluable during a advanced life support call. In addition to medication administration, the setting of intravenous therapy is also presented. This material will be reinforced during both your lab and clinical rotations during the course.