Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Published · Last updated
On this page
Not medical advice. This page describes what published guidelines say an emergency medication kit contains and how it is kept ready. It gives no doses and no administration steps. What a given kit holds is decided by a licensed prescriber or pharmacist and the facility’s own protocol.
An emergency medication kit (also called an emergency drug kit or emergency drug box) is the set of drugs a health-care office keeps on hand for a medical emergency until help arrives or the patient is transferred. Three published guidelines agree on the principle: choose contents to fit the patient population and the staff who would use them, keep them in a known place, and check them on a schedule.
Household supply, clinic kit and pre-built kit: which one do you mean?
The phrase covers three different things. A household medication supply is a go-bag of your own prescriptions; Ready.gov (updated 21 August 2025) advises keeping a list of prescriptions with diagnosis, dose, frequency, medical supply needs and allergies, storing extra nonprescription drugs, and using a cooler with chemical ice packs for medicines that need refrigeration. A clinic emergency drug kit is a prescriber-controlled stock for an office, and is the subject of the rest of this page. A pre-built kit is a supplier’s assembled version of the second; the questions in the supplier section below apply to it.
This kit is the drug component only. Airway equipment, defibrillator and the cart that carries them are covered in what a crash cart is, the outpatient emergency response cart checklist and the emergency oxygen kit guide. Bandages and dressings belong in a first aid kit.
Emergency drug kit contents by category
The table lists medications that named guidelines include, grouped by the category the guideline places them in. It is a comparison of what is published, with no strengths or amounts, and says nothing about when or for whom to use any drug. It is not a recommended formulary, and it draws on three dated sources. The AAFP article is a 2007 expert-opinion review for US office practice; the Canadian Paediatric Society guideline is from 2009; the Ontario document is a 2026 guideline from one provincial regulator, written for its own profession.
| Category in the guideline | Medications named | Named in |
|---|---|---|
| Allergic reaction and anaphylaxis | Epinephrine; diphenhydramine or other antihistamines; parenteral corticosteroids | AAFP 2007; Ontario 2026 (epinephrine, antihistamines); CPS 2009 (epinephrine) |
| Breathing difficulty and asthma | Albuterol (salbutamol); nebulized epinephrine | AAFP 2007; CPS 2009 (salbutamol) |
| Chest pain and cardiac events | Aspirin; nitroglycerin | AAFP 2007; Ontario 2026 |
| Low blood sugar | Dextrose (AAFP); glucose (Ontario) | AAFP 2007; Ontario 2026 |
| Seizure | Parenteral diazepam; sublingual lorazepam | AAFP 2007 |
| Opioid or sedative reversal | Naloxone; flumazenil. Ontario lists both where sedation is used. | AAFP 2007; Ontario 2026 |
| Pain, fever, infection, fluids | Morphine; acetaminophen rectal suppositories; ceftriaxone; normal saline | AAFP 2007 |
Where the sources differ, the difference is informative. AAFP lists a broad range including controlled and injectable drugs, while the Ontario guideline classifies clinics by risk and gives a shorter basic set of epinephrine, nitroglycerin, glucose and antihistamines, adding reversal agents only where sedation is performed. The sources set no item counts per kit; the quantity of each drug is a protocol decision for the prescriber.
Emergency drug box and emergency drug kit: are they different?
The sources use the terms interchangeably. Emergency drug kit, emergency drug box and emergency medication kit all describe the drug stock. The CPS guideline calls the container a locked emergency equipment container.
What varies by facility type
- Risk profile and patient demographics. The Ontario guideline says selection should reflect the clinic’s risk profile and patient demographics. AAFP likewise says equipment choice should reflect each office’s patient population.
- Staff capability. AAFP states that no medication should be made available if office personnel cannot manage the drug’s most common side effects, and that no office should stock equipment that cannot be used safely by its staff.
- Children. The Canadian Paediatric Society guideline addresses offices that care for children and asks for a posted written protocol and an emergency phone list. See the dental office emergency supply checklist for a setting-specific example.
- Procedures that use sedation. Ontario adds reversal agents (naloxone and flumazenil) for clinics using nitrous oxide or oral sedatives.
Storage, expiry and restocking
- Locked and portable. The CPS guideline says all drugs should be kept in a locked emergency equipment container, with expiry dates reviewed regularly. AAFP says emergency equipment should be portable and stored in a common location. A crash cart lock is one way carts are secured.
- Expiry. The Ontario guideline states that all medication must be within expiry and stored properly, and that drugs are checked and replaced before expiry.
- Logbooks. The same guideline calls for logbooks for equipment checks and drug inventory, plus scheduled inspections.
- Practice. AAFP says staff should be trained and regularly retrained in basic life support. CPS recommends periodic mock codes.
Questions to put to a kit supplier
These are questions for your prescriber and pharmacist, derived from the controls above rather than from any vendor claim: Is there an itemized contents list showing each drug and its expiry date? Does the container lock or carry a tamper indicator? How are replacements for expiring drugs handled? Does the contents list match the list your prescriber approved for your patient population?
Guidelines that apply
This page cites professional guidelines, not a single binding rule. Legal requirements for stocking emergency drugs differ by jurisdiction and profession, so check your licensing board and state or provincial pharmacy rules. A prescriber must authorize every drug in the kit.
FAQ
What is in an emergency medication kit?
Published clinic lists group medications into categories such as allergic reaction, breathing difficulty, chest pain, low blood sugar and seizure, with reversal agents where sedation is used; see the table above for what AAFP (2007), CPS (2009) and an Ontario regulator (2026) name.
Is an emergency drug kit the same as a crash cart?
No. The kit holds drugs; a crash cart carries equipment such as airway tools and a defibrillator alongside or including drugs. See the crash cart guide.
Who decides what goes in the kit?
The guidelines point to the facility’s licensed prescribers, working from the patient population and what staff can safely manage.
How often should the kit be checked?
The guidelines call for regular expiry review, logbooks and scheduled inspections but give no fixed interval; set it in your written policy.
Sources
- American Academy of Family Physicians, Medical Emergency Preparedness in Office Practice, Am Fam Physician, 1 June 2007 (checked 3 November 2026).
- College of Chiropodists of Ontario, Office Medical Emergencies Guideline 2026 (checked 3 November 2026).
- Feldman M, Canadian Paediatric Society, Guidelines for paediatric emergency equipment and supplies for a physician’s office, Paediatr Child Health 2009;14(6):402-404 (checked 3 November 2026).
- Ready.gov, Tips for Medication, updated 21 August 2025 (checked 3 November 2026).
