Beth,
That 's great I will add you to our growing list of volunteer medics for this project and will be in touch.
Simon

Wow what a wonderful thread!
I have just joined and would love to know what happened about this idea?

I managed to get prescription drugs with an prescription at Boots in Falmouth before we left.
I took along ships papers, a letter explaining that we would be offshore cruising and they ordered nearly everything on the list.
The things they did not order where because they could not get them.

I was very surprised but please as my doctor was not going to help in any way.

I would love to do an in-depth course, weekend course.
I found the RYA course to be very basic.

JoJO

Hi JoJO,
Good report on the course and your success with the Pharmacy. I am pleased and a bit surprised that a big chain like Boots was so flexible. Were you familiar with them as a person/family? I do not know of a greater depth course in UK, just US. I would also try climbing/backpacker/back country sites. The skills are very similar. Let us know what you find.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Hi Dick,
I did not know anyone at the store.
I found a regulation that stated that a ships captain, that will be sailing more than 150NM offshore, can order prescription drugs without a prescription.
This was three years ago, but I will check on the boat tomorrow for more information.
They checked and confirmed that this was possible, and I ordered everything I wanted.
It was easy and straightforward. But I don 't know if this regulation has been changed.

What happened about the idea of a OCC seminar and medical supply list?
I would love to do some more training in this very important area.

JoJo
s/v Island Swift

JoJo
No the idea did not die and infact it went ahead. I got Committee approval and we did a Skype tutorial as time and geography conspired to make face to face impossible on that occasion. Having satisfied myself that the drugs were to be appropriately used I has happy to provide the prescriptions for most of the drugs on the list I posted some months ago. I just never got around to writing up the happy ending.

Better still though is this projects knits very well with the Telemedicine project Susie Plume (s/v Adina) has been working for occ members as it provides boats with the tools required for a successful telemedicine consultation.

If there is demand I 'd be happy to make this into a proper webinar which I think would be the only way of overcoming geographical constraints. Of course I can only prescribe for those in the U.K.

I had no idea about your Ship 's Captain clause. That 's brilliant.
Simon

Hi, As the recipient of Simon 's advice I can testify that it was first rate and very reassuring. We learned a lot, became confident in what we should and shouldn 't do and equipped ourselves with a number of useful meds. Thankfully 6 months and some 6,000 miles cruising later we haven 't had to use any but I would recommend that anyone who is not medically trained takes advantage of this type of seminar. This type of initiative is exactly where the OCC benefits cruisers and volunteers like Simon make it happen. Thanks all round.

Hi all,
In a series of emails with our fellow OCC member, Charles Starke, I have gleaned the following information from his writing for those who might be preparing/designing their medical kit.
Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Hi:
I've tried these (http://www.clozex.com/) out and recommend that we add this article as a safety addition to the OCC website. They are excellent to carry aboard for lacerations, and can save time and cut risk. I had to staple myself up in 15 foot seas off Bora Bora without anesthesia and wish I had these instead.

Best wishes,
Charles
Charles L Starke MD FACP

The product is just coming out and I haven't found it yet online. Searches seem to lead to the old product, Steristrips. Steristrips are worth having too but the Clozex is a new development.

" Clozex will be available in one to two months on their website (http://www.clozex.com/) and probably on Amazon. I have no economic relationship to Clozex.

Hi Simon & Daria,
It might be a good idea to garner all the posts pertaining to developing a medical kit for offshore boats in a separate topic. When I went to post the one pertaining to Clozex, I was not sure where to put it. It seems a topic worthy of its own stream. Dick

Dick,

There is a new thread on medical kits already started. We should definitely cross reference the different threads.

This Clozex product is fantastic for cruisers. I think a Best Practices article would be a really good way to summarise some of this information in a useful downloadable format. As a former medical writer, I'll talk to Simon about getting that done later this year.

Vice Commodore, OCC 

Daria
A Best Practices Document would be an excellent outcome and it would be great if you could undertake this when you have time. Maria is currently running her Delphi study having surveyed ARC kits in 2018. Her original research will do a great deal to add authority to the Best Practices Document when it is drafted. A great outcome for this Forum thread.
Simon