OneDose speeds EMS recall alerts across Northeast Ohio

University Hospitals used OneDose to notify 1,315 EMS providers within hours after an epinephrine recall hit 1,093 drug boxes across more than 100 agencies in Northeast Ohio. The same-day alert helped crews pull affected boxes from service and accelerated regional exchanges of recalled medication.

Why it matters: - Medication recalls can disrupt EMS operations across multiple agencies and counties. - Faster notification helps crews remove affected drug boxes before the medication is used in the field. - Documented acknowledgment gives EMS leaders proof that the recall message reached providers.

What happened: - University Hospitals EMS Institute in Northeast Ohio was notified last month of a significant epinephrine recall affecting drug boxes. - Pharmacies at UH Ahuja and UH Portage medical centers identified 2,287 vials of epinephrine distributed across 1,093 drug boxes. - Those drug boxes served more than 100 EMS agencies. - University Hospitals used OneDose to push an immediate notification to 1,315 EMS providers on the day the recall was confirmed. - Crews were alerted, affected boxes were pulled from service, and the system documented receipt of the notice.

The details: - Dr. John B. Hill, EMS Medical Director at University Hospitals, said OneDose allowed the system to immediately notify EMS crews in the field. - Hill said the response was only possible because KitCheck identified the affected drug boxes and OneDose reached every provider right away. - KitCheck’s vial-level tracking pinpointed which boxes were affected. - OneDose sent the notification directly to providers’ devices. - UH EMS Institute and UH Meds at University Hospitals organized countywide exchange events to replace the recalled medication. - More than 900 drug boxes were exchanged in the first three days. - The system reached 90% completion across all affected agencies by the end of the first week.

Between the lines: - The episode shows how a connected EMS system can compress a multi-day recall scramble into a same-day response. - The combination of inventory tracking and direct messaging reduces uncertainty about whether field crews got the alert. - OneDose offers notification tools, including acknowledgment tracking and region-wide provider messaging, through OneDose Essentials at no cost to the state or its agencies. - The broader message for EMS leaders is that recall readiness now depends as much on communication infrastructure as on medication tracking.

What's next: - EMS agencies and state offices reviewing recall preparedness may look for systems that can send alerts and confirm receipt on the same day a recall is confirmed. - University Hospitals’ regional response suggests future recall drills and policies may place more emphasis on immediate digital notification and documented acknowledgment.

The bottom line: - In this recall, speed mattered as much as detection, and OneDose helped University Hospitals move from notice to fieldwide action in hours rather than days.