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SALT LAKE CITY — Emergency medical services are in desperate need of about 300 drugs, and as a temporary solution, they're looking to hospitals and extended expiration dates on the drugs.
EMS will soon be allowed to use 18 different medicines up to six months past their expiration date in order to deal with shortages that put their patients at risk.
Doctor Peter Taillac, Medical Director for Utah's Bureau of EMS said this comes in response to a nationwide shortage of life-saving medicines. These medications include Valium, morphine and magnesium sulfate.
"They have to swap out medications that they're running short of, and substituting for other medications that might not be as efficacious for the patient."
He also calls this a safe alternative.
"To be able to use Valium for a seizing child that is a month or two months past its expiration date is very much safer and better for that child than to not use the Valium and allow him to continue seizing," Taillac said.
EMS is also working to swap empty medication boxes for full ones from hospitals that have larger supplies. According to Taillac, drug makers are not producing these inexpensive medicines because the medicines are unprofitable.
