Purpose Statement
The Medications Settings page allows administrators to configure how medications, medication kits, and controlled substances are tracked, displayed, and managed within First Due. These settings support accountability, compliance, and streamlined medication workflows.
Background Information
Medication Settings control key behaviors such as medication counts, custody exchanges, serial number generation, expiration tracking, and dashboard visibility. Proper configuration ensures accurate inventory management, regulatory compliance, and consistent user experience across the department.
Common Use Cases:
Enforcing medication counts
Managing controlled substance custody
Tracking medication expiration dates
Standardizing serial number generation
Reducing custody exchange errors
Prerequisites:
Access to the Medications module
Administrative permissions
Required Permissions
Medication Setup - Settings - Allow
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Navigate to Medication Settings
Navigate to Medications
Select Setup
From Medications Setup, select Settings
2. Configure Medication Count Requirement
Enable Requires Count
When enabled, a medication count is required for your medical supplies
3. Allow CS Kit Security Method Changes
Enable Allow CS Kit Security Method Change
Allows users to switch a controlled substance kit between Locks and Seals
4. Enable Expiring Medication Dashboard
Enable Expiring Medication Dashboard
Enter a numeric value representing days prior to expiration
Medications expiring within this range will appear on the Medication Dashboard
5. Set Medication Display Format
Under Medication Display, choose how medications appear:
Expiration
Lot Number
Expiration and Lot Number
6. Enable Simplified View for Seal-Intact Custody Exchanges
Enable Simplified View for Seal-Intact Custody Exchanges
Applies only to Detailed Med Logs
Used when custody is exchanged and the seal number remains unchanged
7. Enable Exclusive Possession
Enable Exclusive Possession
Only the user who currently has custody of a controlled substance kit can perform kit-related events
8. Generate Global Serial Numbers
Enable Generate Global Serial Numbers
Automatically generates sequential serial numbers for medications that require serial tracking
9. Configure Global Serial Number Components
Once Generate Global Serial Numbers is enabled, configure the following toggles:
Custom Fixed Text
Enter department-specific fixed text
Med Shortcode
If a medication has both a Medication Short Code and Last Serial Number configured, it will use its own serial sequence instead of the global sequence
Separators
Adds dashes between fixed text, shortcode, and auto-number
AutoNumber
Set the numeric length
Define the starting number
Tip:
Use the six-dot drag handles to arrange the order of serial number components.
10. Enable Clear Overdue Events
Enable Clear Overdue Events
Configure when to clear:
Overdue Counts
Overdue Custody Exchanges
Enter the numeric value representing days
11. Save Settings
Select Save
Confirm the Settings saved successfully message appears
Best Practices
Enable Requires Count to improve inventory accuracy
Use Exclusive Possession for stricter controlled substance accountability
Standardize serial numbers using Global Serial Numbers
Set reasonable expiration thresholds to avoid alert fatigue
Limit security method changes to trained personnel
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Q: Why can’t users change a CS kit from seals to locks?
A: Ensure Allow CS Kit Security Method Change is enabled and the user has appropriate permissions.
Q: Medications aren’t appearing on the expiration dashboard.
A: Verify the Expiring Medication Dashboard is enabled and the expiration date falls within the configured day range.
Q: Serial numbers are not using the global format.
A: If a medication has its own Medication Short Code and Last Serial Number, it will override the global sequence.