County to staff and fund EMS medication restocking after ECU Health ends support

The Pitt County Board approved funding and a new position to allow county EMS to manage medication restocking after ECU Health notified the county it will stop providing that service.

Emergency management presenters (speaker 13) told commissioners they were notified Dec. 16 that "effective April 1 ECU Health will no longer provide medications to the EMS squads in the Pitt County EMS system." Staff said they had negotiated an extension to May 1 to allow time to implement systems, hire a dedicated logistics person and buy equipment and a vehicle. The request was presented as roughly $235,000 for the position, equipment and vehicle; the spoken figure in the transcript was unclear and staff restated it during the presentation.

Officials said ECU Health's change aligns the hospital’s ambulance restocking policy with governing laws and national standards and that the county has relied on the hospital for about 30 years. Emergency management staff said hiring a dedicated employee will minimize medication management errors and help maintain legal compliance.

Commissioners asked whether the cost could be captured through billing. Staff and the manager said medication-specific billing is unlikely to cover full cost but that EMS service fees and the county’s EMS tax, plus recent increases in transport fee revenue, have created restricted funds that can absorb the initial expense without a tax increase this year. The manager emphasized the board controls any tax decision.

The motion to approve the additional position and funding was made, seconded and carried; staff said they will monitor EMS-restricted funds and report any shortfall to the board.