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EMS Setup - Current Medications (eHistory.12) - How the List Works

Purpose Statement

The EMS Medication Information | Name field (eHistory.12) enables EMS providers to accurately document medications a patient reports taking at home. This feature supports clinical decision-making, improves patient care continuity, and ensures compliant, complete ePCR documentation.

Background Information

First Due’s Current Medications field is powered by a curated dataset derived from the RxNorm medication library, providing standardized medication naming and structure. Agencies can utilize the system in three distinct ways depending on their operational needs:

  1. Default Medication List (System-Managed)
  2. Offline Medication Availability (Auto-Cached)
  3. Custom Agency-Configured Medication List

Each option balances performance, usability, and administrative control.

Required Permissions

  • Field Users (EMS Providers):
    • Access to ePCR module
    • Permission to complete Patient Care Reports
  • Administrators:
    • Access to Field Customization
    • Permission to configure ePCR fields and lists

Step-by-Step Guide
 

Option 1: Use the Default Medication List (No Setup Required)

Out of the box, providers have access to roughly 10,000 medications filtered from the full RxNorm library of 230,000 codes. This list is available when online and does not require any setup — it is simply available in the ePCR UI when a provider begins typing in the Current Medications field.

  1. Open an ePCR report.
  2. Navigate to Patient Information → Current Medications (eHistory.12).
  3. Begin typing the medication name.
  4. Select from the auto-populated search results.

Key Details:

  • ~10,000 medications available (filtered from ~230,000 RxNorm codes)
  • Available online only
  • No administrative setup required
  • Not visible in Field Customization

Option 2: Understand Offline Medication Availability

  1. Document medications while online during report completion.
  2. Allow the device to complete its next scheduled sync.
  3. Previously documented medications become available offline.

How It Works:

  • Loading the full medication library onto each device would create significant performance issues, so offline availability works differently. Rather than syncing the entire list, First Due caches any medication a provider has documented in a previous reports while online. This means the offline list grows naturally over time based on what your crews are actually documenting.  
  • Medications are cached automatically — no action required by the provider or administrator   
  • The offline list updates following the next scheduled sync after a medication is documented online
  • If a medication has never been documented in a report, it will not be available offline.
  • Return to Online status to add/document the remaining medications that were not available while offline

 

Option 3: Configure a Custom Medication List (Admin Only)

Agencies that want more control over what their providers see can enable the "Configure your own medication list" option in Field Customization. When this toggle is enabled, First Due pre-loads a curated starter list of approximately 300 commonly used EMS medications — so you are not starting from scratch. From there, administrators have full control to:
  • Add medications from the full 10,000-value online library
  • Remove medications that are not relevant to your agency
  • Reorder the list to surface the most commonly used medications
  • Update the Display Description to show generic and brand names (e.g., Acetaminophen (Tylenol))
  • Starter List: ~300 pre-loaded medications .
  • Offline: All medications on your configured list are available offline
  • Note: Enabling this option gives your agency full ownership of the list — First Due will not make changes to your configured values

 

Enable Custom List

  1. Navigate to Incident Documentation  / EMS Setup /  Field Customization.

 

 

 

  1. Locate the Field EMS Medication Information /Name and click Pencil to Edit that field. 

 

      3. Enable "Configure your own medication list" toggle.

 

 

Customize the List

  1. Review the pre-loaded starter list (~300 medications).
  2. Add medications from the full online library.
  3. Remove irrelevant medications.
  4. Reorder list based on frequency of use.
  5. Edit Display Description (e.g., Acetaminophen (Tylenol)).

Key Details:

  • Starter list includes generic + brand names
  • Fully available offline once configured
  • Agency maintains full ownership — no automatic updates

 

 

 

Best Practices

  • Use Default List if minimal configuration is preferred
  • Regularly review and update custom lists to reflect:
    • Local protocols
    • Common patient populations
  • Standardize naming conventions using Display Descriptions

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why can’t I find a medication offline?

  • The medication has not been previously documented while online
  • Solution: Document it online once and allow sync

Does First Due sync live with RxNorm?

No. The medication list is a static curated snapshot and does not auto-update.

Can we import our medication list from another system?

Yes. Contact your Client Success Manager or Implementation Specialist to discuss options.

What if a medication isn’t available?

  • Use search within the default 10,000-medication list (online)
  • Or enable custom configuration to add and prioritize medications
  • Please place a support ticket with our team to let us know.