Purpose
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the Medications Dashboard and explain how to navigate its features for monitoring medication counts, expirations, pending signatures, and medication usage. The dashboard serves as a centralized workspace that allows authorized users to quickly identify outstanding tasks and access common medication workflows.
Important Note:
The Medications Dashboard is currently available only in the First Due web application. If you are using First Due on a mobile device or tablet, medication events such as counts, usage, receives, and removes can be completed from the Med Kits interface instead.
Background Information
The Medications Dashboard provides a high-level operational view of medication activity across your selected Med Kits. It brings together the most important medication information into a single screen, allowing users to quickly monitor daily responsibilities and navigate directly to medication-related actions.
From the dashboard, authorized users can:
- View and start due medication counts
- Review completed counts
- Monitor medications approaching expiration
- Complete pending signatures
- Document and review medication usage
By consolidating these workflows into one location, the dashboard improves situational awareness, supports compliance with medication handling policies, and helps agencies maintain medication accountability.
Required Permissions
Access to the Medications Dashboard and its features depends on assigned permissions, which may include:
- Medication Dashboard â Allow
- Med Kits â Allow
- Count Medications â Allow
- Meds - Usage â Allow
- Complete and Sign Later â Allow
If you cannot access certain dashboard sections or actions, contact your system administrator.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Access the Medications Dashboard
- Select the First Due logo.
- Open the Medications module.
- Select Dashboard.
The Dashboard is the first page displayed within the Medications module and serves as the primary workspace for medication-related activities.
2. Select the Appropriate Med Kits
Use the Med Kit selector to choose one or more Med Kits to display on the dashboard.
The dashboard automatically refreshes to display information for the selected Med Kits.
Info:
If your agency uses the Scheduling module and you are assigned to an apparatus or vehicle with Med Kits configured, those Med Kits are automatically selected when you open the dashboard. You can modify the selection at any time to view additional or different Med Kits.
If the expected Med Kits are not automatically selected, an administrator should verify that the Med Kits are assigned to the correct Location within the Med Kits List configuration.
3. View and Start Due Counts or Exchanges
The Due Counts section displays medication counts and custody exchanges that require completion for the selected Med Kits.
To begin a count:
- Locate the desired count.
- Select Start Count or select Start Exchange.
This opens the medication count workflow for the selected Med Kit.
4. Review Completed Counts
The Completed Counts section displays recently completed medication counts for the selected Med Kits.
Depending on your permissions, you can:
- Review count information directly from the dashboard.
- Select the Eye icon to view detailed count information and associated signatures within the Medication Log.
Important Note:
Viewing detailed count information and signatures is permission-based. If you do not have permission, the Eye icon will not be displayed, although summary information will still be visible.
5. Monitor Expiring Medications
The Expiring Medications section displays medications that are approaching their configured expiration threshold or have already expired.
For each medication, you can view:
- Medication name
- Quantity affected
- Days until expiration
- Current Med Kit location
Select the Arrow icon to open the associated Med Kit and manage the medication directly.
6. Manage Pending Signatures
The Pending Signatures section displays medication activities that require signatures, including:
- Counts
- Receives
- Removes
- Transfers
- Usage
Authorized users can complete pending signatures directly from this section.
Important Note:
Depending on your assigned permissions, the dashboard may display only your pending signatures or pending signatures for other users as well.
If a medication workflow is interrupted before it is completed (such as responding to an incident), your progress is saved. You can return later to complete the remaining steps, and the pending action will appear in this section until finalized.
7. Document and Review Medication Usage
The Usage section allows authorized users to document medication administrations and review existing usage records.
To document medication usage:
- Select Usage.
- Choose one of the currently selected Med Kits.
- Complete the medication usage workflow.
Depending on your permissions, select the Eye icon to review the detailed Medication Log entry for an existing usage record.
Important Note:
Access to detailed usage records is permission-based. Users without the required permission will not see the Eye icon.
Best Practices
- Review the Medications Dashboard at the beginning of each shift.
- Complete medication counts as soon as they become due.
- Address pending signatures promptly to maintain compliance and accountability.
- Regularly monitor medications approaching expiration to avoid inventory issues.
- Use the dashboard as your primary starting point for daily medication management activities.
- Adjust your Med Kit selection as needed when working from multiple vehicles or assignments.
- Use the dashboard's direct navigation links to quickly access Med Kits and Medication Log records.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
The dashboard is not displaying any information.
Verify that at least one Med Kit is selected in the Med Kit dropdown. Also confirm you have permission to access the selected Med Kits.
My assigned Med Kits are not automatically selected.
If your agency uses Scheduling, verify that the appropriate Med Kits are assigned to the correct Location in the Med Kits List configuration.
I cannot start a medication count.
Confirm that you have permission to perform medication counts and that the selected count is currently due.
I do not see the Eye icon for completed counts or usage records.
Viewing detailed count information, signatures, and usage records is permission-based. Contact your system administrator if you believe you should have access.
Why are medication events listed under Pending Signatures?
Medication workflows that are started but not fully completed remain in Pending Signatures until all required signatures are collected. This allows users to resume and finalize interrupted workflows without losing progress.