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Deputy chief warns Main Health notice could force Limington EMS to buy costly drug inventory
Summary
A Limington deputy chief told the Select Board that Main Health told ambulance services it will stop supplying controlled drugs July 14 and other medications Oct. 1, potentially forcing small services to obtain DEA registration, buy bulk drug boxes and absorb steep start‑up costs.
Corin, a deputy chief who briefed the Select Board, told the meeting that an email from Main Health on May 13 advised roughly 210 services that Main Health would cease supplying controlled substances on July 14 and non-controlled substances on Oct. 1. He said the change follows federal rules that expanded which entities may obtain DEA registration but — he emphasized — is not something DEA requires of EMS services.
"It's not a mandate by the state. It's not actually a mandate from any government entity. It's being forced on us by a private entity actually," Corin said, describing communications from Main Health and his conversations with a DEA representative.
Why it matters: Corin said the shift would transfer procurement, storage and regulatory burdens to individual ambulance services, many of which are small and operate with volunteer staff. He gave an estimated per-box replacement value of about $4,500 (including controlled substances) and said an initial inventory buy‑in to be operational could be roughly $18,000 for a single service. Those up-front figures do not include the costs of DEA‑compliant storage, security, tracking or staff time to manage registrations and inventories.
Corin described how the current system — ambulances replacing used medications on a one‑for‑one exchange with hospitals — has kept costs manageable for small services. Under the new arrangement, vendors often sell only in bulk (boxes of 10 or 25), meaning services would buy and hold quantities many smaller towns seldom use. "There's a number of them that are $200 to $300 per box," he said, adding that many medications are for rare, worst‑case situations and may expire unused.
Board members and residents asked about cooperative responses. Corin said long‑term regional group purchasing could lower costs for non‑controlled medications and might be possible for controlled substances under narrow rules, but short‑term start‑up and DEA registration timing make immediate co‑ops difficult. He added that DEA processing times for registrations are uncertain and could take weeks to months.
Corin said the service submitted an emergency funding request for up to $28,000 as a worst‑case initial outlay if forced to assume direct purchasing. He also warned that simultaneous bulk orders by many services could strain supply chains and cause shortages: "There's already one medication that we carry that's already currently a shortage on now," he said.
What the board heard about next steps: attendees reported outreach to Representative Jim Libby and said media scrutiny and legislative pressure might persuade Main Health to delay or reverse the change or provide funding assistance. Corin said he has communicated with a DEA representative and that congressional engagement could help; he also committed to updating the board as the situation develops.
The Select Board did not take formal action on the presentation at the meeting; Corin asked for help in seeking extensions or funding and said he would share his presentation with town staff for the minutes and website. The board scheduled follow‑up and expected additional updates in coming weeks.
