Authorisation to provide
pre-hospital emergency care and administer medications
using PHECC Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs)

PHECC clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are the authority by which EMTs, Paramedics and Advanced Paramedics, when providing care on behalf of a licenced service provider, are empowered to administer certain medications listed in the Seventh Schedule of the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) Regulations, 2005 (the “2005 Regulations”).

As a PHECC registered Practitioner you do not have the authority to administer the medications contained in the Seventh schedule of the Medicinal Products Regulations, which can be administered according to CPG, unless you are privileged by a CPG licenced service provider.

CPG licenced service providers are organisations who have been recognised by Council for approval to implement PHECC CPGs.

The results of an internet search, conducted on 1st December 2016 identified the organisations listed below that appear to advertise the provision of pre-hospital emergency care or paramedic type services. 

Please note that the following organisations have not undertaken to implement PHECC Clinical Practice Guidelines and are not recognised by PHECC.

•      EventMed
•          Guardian Paramedics       

Legal Basis

The following is an extract from the legislation which underpins the authorisation by PHECC Practitioners to administer medications under CPGs. 

THE PHECC ESTABLISHMENT ORDERS (S.I. NO. 109 OF 2000 - THE PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE COUNCIL, (ESTABLISHMENT) ORDER, 2000) states:

"The functions of Council shall be to
(o) prepare clinical practice guidelines for pre-hospital emergency care and make such guidelines available to pre-hospital emergency care service providers and such other persons as it may consider appropriate." 
(r) recognise, in accordance with rules made by the Council, those pre-hospital emergency care service providers which undertake to implement the clinical practice guidelines prepared pursuant to sub-article (o) of this Article."

The MEDICINAL PRODUCTS (PRESCRIPTION AND CONTROL OF SUPPLY) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2005 states:

·   “’advanced paramedic’, ‘paramedic’ ‘emergency medical technician’ and ‘pre-hospital emergency care provider’ have the same meaning as in the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order 2000, as amended by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order 2000 (Amendment) Order 2004 ( S.I. No. 575 of 2004”’)

·    “’clinical practice guidelines’ or “CPG” means the clinical practice guidelines prepared and published by PHECC;”’

·    “‘PHECC’ means the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council established by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order 2000 ( S.I. No. 109 of 2000 );”’