Paramedic & Emergency Pharmacology Guidelines

Recently I was back at the Education center for my Ambulance Service, I had a quick look at the store while I was there, thankfully I didn’t have to make as many purchases as last time I attended!

 

But one thing I did pick up was this

 

 

I’ll start by saying I’ve been looking for a book like this for a while, its nice to know what everyone else out there does. Especially when talking to the wider world on twitter and facebook.

I wish we had a book like this when I was a student at uni, we used to have to borrow the drug cards from the Paramedics on placement and try and make photo copies for our practical classes, or get a ACLS/PHTLS themed book.
This little pocket guide is the size of a thick note pad and covers a large amount of common Australian Prehospital medications in a tabled format.

The lay out of each medication is simple, easy and basic, exactly what you need for quick reference. Each medication has entries for description, indications, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, contraindications, adverse effects, precautions, preparation (common ones available), dosage.

The book is made of coated paper so it should survive a trip to the bottom of a pocket or bag, being sat or stepped on or other things paramedic students are liable to subject it to.
Going to uni in a time when table’s were a thing of the future and if you wanted info you had to haul a text book or a computer to class, or just plain remember it, I would have loved to have this as a quick reference for question time, practical scenarios and study. I’m really quite impressed by this amalgamation of references into one easy to use pocket book. If your looking for an inexpensive, useful gift for your self or someone you know this makes a great one. Now that I’m pushing myself into study again I find myself looking to it more and more.

For those of you that prefer to access your information on phones (and who doesn’t) there is now a phone app of this book.

In addition to this and for those now casting the printed word aside there is an Iphone/ Android app (I’ve only played with the Android version, for some reason people aren’t trusting with their phones)
Same idea as the pocket guide but it now inhabits a place next to all your other pocket guides on your phone, for a little over 5 dollars you get a searchable reference that is update-able. In addition to having medications it also arranges them by use.

The book retails for around $30 and the App will set you back $5

It all depends on what you like, I prefer the phone app as it I would give the book a 4/5 as its a great bit of kit that I would have loved as a student and the app a 4.5/5 as it takes the book to the next level.