New laws on administering life saving vaccines October 2015

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has signed new laws this month for the administering of life saving medicines. The life saving rescue medicines must only be administered by a TRAINED member of the public in an emergency situation.

The full range of emergency medicines covered by the new regulations are:

• adrenaline auto-injectors (epipens) (treatment of anaphylaxis)
• glyceryl trinitrate (treatment of unstable angina)
• salbutamol (treatment of asthma attacks)
• glucagon (treatment of diabetic hypoglycaemia)
• naloxone (treatment of opioid overdose)
• entonox (gas mixture consisting of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen) (management of severe pain when used by emergency rescue organisations e.g. mountain rescue teams).

For further information on the impact of this legislation click on the link.

health.gov.ie/blog/uncategorized/law-life-saving-rescue-medicines/