What should the on-board pharmacy ideally contain?

[silvercharlio]

Prevention is undoubtedly the key to health. What medications and accessories would be essential to always have with us on our boat, thinking about sailing for days and close to home, I am not referring to great distances? I thank everyone for their comments and recommendations.

silvercharlio.

[leecea]

We look at it in categories of things that may happen:

Accidents/Injuries
- Minor cuts
- Bigger lacerations
- Splinters
- Burns
- Injuries like sprains, back “goes out”, bruises etc
- Breaks

Other Issues (depending on crew’s med history)
- Allergy meds
- Sea sickness
- Gastrointestinal issues

Then we try to think what makes sense for us in each category. I can't remember everything we have but it's not that much.

- Pain meds
- Neosporin or equiv.
- Alcohol swabs
- Should probably have betadine but we don't
- Assorted bandaids, bandages, dressings etc
- Ace bandage and tape
- Wound closures
- Some blood clot stuff that I can't remember (and hope to never use!)
- Splits in various sizes
- Splinter removal stuff
- Basic First Aid book

Then stuff that's more specific to our own issues (for example, allergy meds, epipens, and various OTC GI meds). We don't have small kids, otherwise we'd have an emetic.

[donradcliffe]

Depends on where you are going and how close help will be. Do you need first aid or a field hospital?

[5BTM]

Antibiotic eye ointment.
Catheders.
Ear wax removal kit; softener drops, rubber bulb for flushing.
Rare earth magnet for removing metal bits from body, especially eyes.
Broad spectrum antibiotic.
Going into the tropics or hot climate, be prepared to deal with abcesses.
Neil Robertson Strecher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9m_3bp7Ppk&t=4s

See a dentist before leaving.

Get a copy of "Ships Captain Medical Guide"
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...e-24th-edition

[Seaworthy Lass]

It depends very much on the age and general health of the crew and the time it would take to access professional care.

We carry numerous 5.5 litre Lock & Lock boxes with O-ring seals containing medical supplies, as we cruise in foreign countries and are often well way from help, but these are just like insurance policies: hopefully never needed, but vital if they are. It is quite costly keeping the prescription drug supplies current, but is is prudent in our circumstances.

In 17+ years of near full time cruising, the only thing we have occasionally reached for are bandaids, alcohol wipes, saline for ocular foreign bodies, needles for splinters, antiseptic ointment and mild oral pain killers and anti-inflammtories. These are kept within easy reach in the galley, the rest is packed away.

Preventing scrapes from getting infected has been our biggest concern when cruising.

SWL

PS Taking a basic first aid course and learning how to resuscitate someone is very useful for your crew. Make sure someone on board knows how to do that for you too .

[Shrew]

In 18 yrs we've needed stitches 3 times. All three times we were not conveniently close to medical resources. All three events were in the evening, on a weekend, and required several hours to medical help.

We keep a huge assortment of butterfly bandages and a suture kit on board. Here are some other things...

Left over pain meds (percocet, oxycodone)

What we did is research the contents of a large 'backcountry/Expedition/Adventure' medical kit. Then bought a generic pelican case. We used to contents list from the 'backcountry/adventure' kits and bought the supplies from our local pharmacy and basically built our own kit. I bought a bright yellow kit and painted a first-aid cross in red on it myself. It's not as organized as a professional kit, but a heck of a lot cheaper.

If you're coastal crusing, you can get to shore before you need anti-biotics.

[s/v Jedi]

As a base, no doubt the pro version of this kit:

https://mymedic.com/collections/firs...-special-infos

[Don C L]

This is just ONE thing but I consider it very useful. A waterproof bandage that can not only cover a wound but I have also used it for a burn wound in conditions where I was often wet. It really worked well. Get a good supply IMO.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Shrew

In 18 yrs we've needed stitches 3 times. All three times we were not conveniently close to medical resources. All three events were in the evening, on a weekend, and required several hours to medical help.

We keep a huge assortment of butterfly bandages and a suture kit on board. Here are some other things...

Left over pain meds (percocet, oxycodone)

What we did is research the contents of a large 'backcountry/Expedition/Adventure' medical kit. Then bought a generic pelican case. We used to contents list from the 'backcountry/adventure' kits and bought the supplies from our local pharmacy and basically built our own kit. I bought a bright yellow kit and painted a first-aid cross in red on it myself. It's not as organized as a professional kit, but a heck of a lot cheaper.

If you're coastal crusing, you can get to shore before you need anti-biotics.

I carry this to compensate for the unavailability of medical care if bleeding out:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0979BZ543...2N&starsLeft=1

Was apparently first used by the military for combat wound care. Saved a LOT of lives.

I've used it a couple times

[Bert46]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I carry this to compensate for the unavailability of medical care if bleeding out:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0979BZ543...2N&starsLeft=1

Was apparently first used by the military for combat wound care. Saved a LOT of lives.

I've used it a couple times

Carry the same. Never used.

[ChrisJHC]

Here’s a link to the Australian race requirements:
https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/sit...7gdxfs7plb.pdf
These are based on the World sailing racing requirements.

As you will see, they have adopted a modular approach with the requirements increasing with the type of race.

Simply select the modules appropriate to your type of sailing and there you go.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Here’s a link to the Australian race requirements:
https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/sit...7gdxfs7plb.pdf
These are based on the World sailing racing requirements.

As you will see, they have adopted a modular approach with the requirements increasing with the type of race.

Simply select the modules appropriate to your type of sailing and there you go.

Excellent link. It lays it all out very simply. Thanks.

When approaching our doctor back home for prescriptions for our medical kit, I emailed him the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s MEDICAL CARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS pdf:
https://www.amsa.gov.au/sites/defaul...quirements.pdf
It is a lot to wade through. The Australian race requirements document is much better.

SWL

[rbrazil]

An instruction manual or book. It will do you no good if you dont know how to use these items.
Some examples; What should you do if you step on an urchin? How to treat a stingray sting. What to do if you get stung by jellyfish. How to treat a burn. What if a filling falls out of your teeth. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed all of these. There are many more.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by rbrazil

An instruction manual or book. It will do you no good if you dont know how to use these items.
Some examples; What should you do if you step on an urchin? How to treat a stingray sting. What to do if you get stung by jellyfish. How to treat a burn. What if a filling falls out of your teeth. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed all of these. There are many more.

I’m afraid a book won’t do. In an emergency situation you can’t say “wait let me look that up in the book”. You need training.

Take a first responder course, then study YouTube videos on the special items in the kit that are not part of the course, like a tourniquet, field dressing, clotting agent, chest valve etc. You can even get field novice useable nasal tube etc. that can be life savers when you know how to use them. They all have videos online.

[donradcliffe]

My solution--I brought an ER/CCR nurse.