Purpose Statement
Medication Notifications allow agencies to proactively monitor controlled substance discrepancies and activity, overdue medication counts, custody exchanges, medication expirations, Med Kit status changes, and critical low stock conditions.
These email notifications help improve medication accountability, inventory management, and operational awareness by notifying designated users or teams when configured medication-related events occur.
Background Information
The Medications module includes seven configurable notification types that trigger email alerts based on specific medication activities, schedules, inventory levels, and status changes.
Notifications can help agencies:
- Identify controlled substance discrepancies.
- Monitor controlled substance activity.
- Identify missed medication counts and custody exchanges.
- Prevent expired medications from remaining in service.
- Monitor Med Kits moving in or out of service.
- Identify medications that fall below configured par or minimum stock levels.
- Notify designated users or teams who need to take action.
Recipients can include individual users or teams configured within Admin > Teams.
All notifications are delivered by email. Verify that each recipient has an accurate email address associated with their First Due user account.
Important Note:
Teams available for selection are configured within Admin > Teams.
Required Permissions
To access and configure Medication Notifications, users must have the following permission:
- Access to the Medications Module
- Medication Setup - Notifications
If the Notifications setup page is not available, contact your agency administrator to verify that this permission has been assigned.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Navigate to Medication Setup
- From the Medications module, select the First Due logo in the upper-left corner.
- Select Setup.
- Select Notifications.
2. Configure Default Occurrence Report Recipients
Default Occurrence Report Recipients identifies who should receive an email when an occurrence report is generated for a controlled substance discrepancy.
For example, if a user performing a controlled substance Med Kit count reports that a controlled substance is not present, the system generates an occurrence report.
The notification email includes detailed information related to the discrepancy, such as the:
- Medication
- Lot number
- Serial number
- Expiration date
- Quantity
- Med Kit
- Date and time
To configure recipients:
- Click within the recipient field.
- Search for and select the appropriate User or Team.
- Add additional recipients as needed.
3. Configure Controlled Substance Activity Notifications
Use Controlled Substance Activity Notifications to determine who should receive an email for controlled substance medication activity.
Examples of controlled substance activity include:
- Transfer
- Usage
- Removal
- Count
Add the appropriate users or teams that should be notified of this activity.
4. Configure Overdue Medication Count Notifications
Overdue Medication Counts notify designated recipients when a scheduled medication count is not completed by its configured due time. This applies to scheduled counts involving controlled or non-controlled substances.
- Enable the notification.
- Add the appropriate Users or Teams.
- Configure the Time to Notify.
Consider setting the notification time after the scheduled count due time to provide personnel with a reasonable buffer to complete the count and clear any pending signatures.
Important Note:
Notification recipients are selected users or teams. The notification do not dynamically target an on-duty position based on scheduling logic.
5. Configure Overdue Custody Exchange Notifications
Overdue Custody Exchange notifications identify scheduled custody exchanges that have not been completed by the required time.
- Enable the notification.
- Add the appropriate Users or Teams.
- Configure the Time to Notify.
Consider adding a buffer between the custody exchange due time and the notification time.
If the custody exchange or retention of custody has not been completed by the notification time, the designated recipients receive an email.
6. Configure Expiring Medication Notifications
Use Expiring Medications to notify designated recipients as medications approach their expiration dates.
- Enable the notification.
- Add the appropriate recipients.
- Enter at least one expiration threshold.
- If using multiple thresholds, configure up to three notification thresholds.
When multiple thresholds are used, they must be entered from highest to lowest, moving from left to right.
If only one advance notification is needed, a single threshold can be configured, such as 7 days before expiration.
7. Configure Med Kit Status Change Notifications
Use Notify on Med Kits Status Change to notify recipients when a Med Kit is moved In Service or Out of Service.
When a Med Kit is taken out of service, the user provides a reason for the status change. Designated recipients receive an email identifying the status change and reason.
When the Med Kit is returned to service, another notification email is generated.
Add the users or teams who should receive these status notifications.
8. Configure Critical Low Stock Notifications
Use Critical Low Stock notifications to alert designated recipients when medication inventory falls below the configured par or minimum quantity for a pouch or Med Kit.
For example, if a narcotics pouch has a configured minimum of two fentanyl medications and usage reduces the available quantity to one, the medication is below its configured minimum.
If the low-stock condition is not corrected through inventory activity, such as a Transfer or Receive, the Critical Low Stock notification can alert designated personnel so they can follow up, replenish the medication, or take other appropriate inventory action.
To configure this notification:
- Enable Critical Low Stock.
- Add the appropriate Users or Teams who should be notified when medication inventory drops below its configured minimum.
Warning:
Critical Low Stock relies on the par or minimum quantities configured for medications by pouch or Med Kit.
10. Save Notification Settings
After configuring the required notifications:
- Select Save in the upper-right corner.
- Ensure your changes are saved before navigating away from the page.
Best Practices
- Use Teams when multiple personnel share responsibility for medication oversight. This can simplify recipient management as staffing changes.
- Include appropriate EMS leadership or medication administrators on controlled substance discrepancy notifications.
- Configure overdue count and custody exchange notifications with a reasonable buffer after the scheduled due time to reduce unnecessary emails.
- Use multiple expiration thresholds when advance notice is needed for medication replacement and inventory planning.
- Configure medication par and minimum quantities accurately so Critical Low Stock notifications identify meaningful inventory shortages.
- Assign Critical Low Stock notifications to personnel responsible for medication replenishment or ordering.
- Review notification recipients periodically to ensure the appropriate personnel continue to receive alerts.
- Verify that recipient email addresses remain current.
- Avoid adding unnecessary recipients to every notification to help reduce alert fatigue.
- Always select Save after making changes.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why am I not receiving Medication Notification emails?
Verify that the applicable notification is enabled and that you are included as a recipient. Confirm that the email address associated with your First Due account is accurate. You may also want to check your email application's spam or junk folder.
Why can't I access Medication Setup or Notifications?
Your user account may not have the appropriate access to Medications Setup. Contact your agency administrator to verify your permissions.
Can I notify a team instead of adding users individually?
Yes. Users and teams can be selected as notification recipients. Teams are configured within Admin > Teams.
Can an overdue notification automatically notify whoever is on duty?
No. Overdue notification recipients cannot dynamically target an on-duty position using scheduling logic. Configure specific users or teams as recipients.
Why am I receiving overdue count notifications shortly after the count is due?
Review the configured Time to Notify. Consider adding a buffer between the scheduled count due time and the notification time to allow personnel to complete the count and any pending signatures.
Why am I receiving an error when configuring expiration thresholds?
When multiple expiration thresholds are configured, enter them from highest to lowest from left to right, such as 90, 60, 30. At least one expiration threshold must be entered.
What triggers a Critical Low Stock notification?
Critical Low Stock applies when medication inventory falls below the par or minimum quantity configured for the medication within a pouch or Med Kit. This allows designated personnel to follow up on inventory that needs to be replenished.
How can a Critical Low Stock condition be corrected?
Appropriate inventory activity, such as receiving or transferring medication to replenish the affected inventory, can address the low-stock condition.
Are Medication Notifications sent by email?
Yes. These notifications are delivered by email to the configured recipients.