Purpose Statement
The Medication Signature Settings allow agencies to configure validation requirements for administering and documenting Controlled and Non-Controlled Substances. This ensures proper authorization, compliance with regulatory standards, and accountability in medication management workflows.
By setting signature requirements, agencies can enforce rank-based or qualification-based validation and require one or multiple authorized personnel to sign off as needed.
Background Information
Medication administration—especially Controlled Substances—requires strict documentation and oversight. The Signature Settings within the Medications module allow administrators to:
Define how users validate medication administration
Require one or multiple authorized signatures
Restrict signers by rank or qualification
Enable profile-based signature auto-fill
Ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards
These settings can be configured separately for:
Controlled Substances
Non-Controlled Substances
Agencies may require stricter validation for Controlled Substances while allowing more flexibility for Non-Controlled medications.
Required Permissions
Users must have the following permissions:
Medications module access
Medication Setup/Configuration permissions
Administrative or configuration-level access
User profile editing permissions (for PIN and signature setup)
If users cannot access the Setup or Signature options, verify their role includes configuration permissions for the Medications module.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Navigate to Medication Setup
Navigate to the Medications module.
Select Setup.
Step 2: Open Signature Settings
Within Setup, select Signature.
This page allows you to configure signature requirements for:
Controlled Substances
Non-Controlled Substances
Step 3: Select the Validation Method
Choose the appropriate validation method:
Signature Only – Requires a signature to validate.
Signature and PIN – Requires both a signature and PIN.
If a user does not have a PIN set, they will be prompted to enter their password.
Fill Signature from Profile – If a user has a saved signature in their profile, they can auto-fill instead of manually signing (see Steps 9–10).
Select the validation method that aligns with your agency’s policy.
Step 4: Define the Number of Required Signatures
Select the +User button to add required signers.
Check the Required box next to the user if that signature is mandatory.
Note:
If multiple users are selected, the system allows signatures from outside your agency.
This is useful for mutual aid or cross-agency validation workflows.
Step 5: Restrict Signatures by Rank
For each added User requirement:
Use the Rank dropdown.
Select all ranks that are eligible to sign.
Important:
If left blank, any person within your agency can sign.
Use rank restrictions to enforce supervisory or command-level sign-off.
Step 6: Restrict Signatures by Qualifiers (Optional)
If applicable:
Use the Qualifier dropdown.
Select all required qualifications.
This ensures only properly credentialed personnel (e.g., Paramedic, AEMT) can validate medication administration.
Step 7: Configure Non-Controlled Substance Settings
Repeat the same configuration process for Non-Controlled Substances.
You may use the Copy Controlled Substance Settings option to duplicate your configuration and make adjustments as needed.
Step 8: Save Your Settings
Select Save.
Confirm the message: “Signature Setting saved successfully.”
This confirms your changes have been applied.
Step 9: Add a PIN or Signature to a User Profile
Select your Name at the bottom of the module stack.
Click Settings.
Step 10: Configure PIN and Signature
From the Settings tab:
Enter or update your PIN.
Add or upload your Signature.
Select Save to apply changes.
Users must complete this step to utilize Signature + PIN or Fill from Profile options.
Best Practices
Require Signature + PIN for Controlled Substances to enhance compliance.
Use Rank restrictions for supervisory oversight.
Apply Qualifier restrictions for credentialed medication administration.
Regularly audit signature requirements to align with policy updates.
Ensure all personnel complete their profile signature and PIN setup.
Use the copy feature when configuring Non-Controlled settings to maintain consistency.
Avoid:
Leaving rank and qualifier fields blank unless intentionally allowing open signature permissions.
Selecting “None” for Controlled Substances unless explicitly permitted by agency policy.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Users cannot sign medications
Confirm they meet required Rank and Qualifier settings.
Verify they have a PIN and/or signature saved in their profile.
Check that the correct validation method is selected.
User is prompted for password instead of PIN
The user does not have a PIN configured.
Have them navigate to Name → Settings to set a PIN.
Signature option does not appear
Confirm the validation method is not set to None.
Verify user permissions for the Medications module.