ACE Group World
Emergency Kit
An Emergency Kit is essential for anyone performing aesthetic treatments. In the event of a medical emergency, medication may be required immediately to prevent patient harm and poor outcomes.
Legal Framework
Emergency Medicines and Governance in Aesthetic Practice in the Ireland
In the UK, under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, the ability to legally hold emergency medicines as stock is limited to doctors and dentists. These prescribers may obtain and retain prescription-only medicines (POMs) for direct administration to patients without requiring a prescription at the point of care.
Other regulated healthcare professionals, such as nurse independent prescribers, pharmacists, and paramedics, must operate under a legally valid PGD or Patient Specific Direction (PSD) when administering POMs, including those used in emergency settings. These mechanisms do not permit stockholding in the same way as they do for medical and dental practitioners.
In Ireland, the regulation of prescription-only medicines (POMs) is governed primarily by the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003–2024, under the oversight of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). [irishstatutebook.ie],
Unlike the UK framework, Irish legislation does not provide an identical, explicit provision permitting doctors and dentists to routinely hold emergency prescription-only medicines as unrestricted “stock” for immediate administration outside established governance structures. Instead, the emphasis is placed on prescribing authority, appropriate supply chains, and organisational governance, including policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines (PPPGs) to support safe medicines management. [nmbi.ie]
Ireland has, however, introduced specific provisions for a limited number of designated emergency medicines, which may be obtained, stored, and administered without a prescription in clearly defined emergency situations. These include medicines such as adrenaline (epinephrine), glucagon, naloxone, salbutamol, glyceryl trinitrate, and Entonox, and can be held by registered organisations provided they meet HPRA requirements and governance standards. [hpra.ie]
Outside of these defined emergency medicines, there is no general exemption allowing aesthetic practitioners or other non-medical prescribers to hold and use POMs as emergency stock independently. Any use of such medicines must be supported by an appropriate legal mechanism, such as:
- A valid prescription issued by an authorised prescriber
- An approved medication protocol or organisational PPPG
- Supply and administration within a regulated healthcare setting