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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS -- MEDICAL

Do I need to carry controlled substances aboard my boat?

In most cases, no. The need to carry controlled substances would probably only be necessary for extended voyages, or operations in remote areas, or extended voyages in remote areas.

Is meclazine safe to give to someone who is sea sick?

Yes, but its effect is questionable if the person who is sea sick can't keep anything down.

My Environmental Compliance and Safety Officer has told me to remove all medications from the boat's first aid kit, should I do this?

This is not a question that can have a yes or no answer for every situation. Now there are also issues which may arise from the Supreme Court ruling that OSHA can assert regulatory requirements over areas not already covered by the USCG. The answer to this question depends a lot on the individualized assessment of operational risk used as the basis to develop program vessel policy or vessel operations manuals. The short answer is that common sense must be used to determine how best to handle illnesses which would require medication at sea

What things should I have in a first aid kit?

The US Public Health and Human Services publication "The Ship's Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea" has a chapter devoted to some common items and their usage which may be considered for inclusion in a first aid kit. This book makes an excellent reference and is available for viewing at this USCG web site (PDF document). Once again though, the inherent risks in the boat operation must be considered when determining first aid kit inventory as the book is intended to provide guidance for large vessels, not small research motorboats.