Medical First Aid Guide
Appendix 14
LIST OF MEDICINES AND EQUIPMENT
Preamble
1 Medicines and equipment already available in the ship’s medicine chest may be counted towards the MFAG numeri-
cal requirements outlined below.
2 In some cases, alternatives are given. This means that one of the given alternatives should be chosen.
MFAG
3 Not all drugs and antidotes on the list may be licensed as pharmaceutical specialities in all Member States and thus
available for general purchase. In such cases, the national authorities may issue a modified list, also in English, where
drugs on the below list not available are substituted with analogous drugs in corresponding quantities.
4 In countries with official lists on contents of ship’s medicine chests, the national authorities can decide to substitute
some of the drugs on the below list with analogous drugs available in the ordinary ship’s medicine chest.
5 The recommended minimum quantities are based on an estimate of risk to persons on board and the time within
which full treatment on shore can be given.
6 National authorities can decide on exemption from carrying these medicines for vessels making short regular voyages
of 10 minutes or less.
Labelling, storage and dispensing should, in general, conform to the relevant specifications in the IMGS. Contents and
storage conditions should be checked at least once a year, taking account of manufacturers expiry date and instructions.
Medicines used should be replaced as soon as possible.
Column A of the following table shows the recommended minimum requirements for ships when casualties cannot be
hospitalized on shore within 24 hours.
Column B shows the recommended minimum requirements for ships when casualties can be hospitalized on shore
within 24 hours.
Column C shows the recommended minimum requirements for ships when casualties can be hospitalized on shore
within 2 hours.
Format/ Recommended minimum quantity
Medicine Dosage Reference
Standard unit A B C
amoxycillin capsules 500 mg 30 capsules none none 500 mg × 3 Table 9
anaesthetic eye drops eye drops 5 bottles 5 bottles 5 bottles several drops × several Table 7
(bottle)
antibiotic eye ointment eye ointment 5 tubes 5 tubes none apply 2 to 4 times daily Appendix 7
(tube) or
more frequently if
required
atropine injection fluid 15 (or 30) × 15 (or 30) × none 1 mg × several Table 17
1 (or 0.5) mg/mL 1 mL 1 mL
(1 mL ampoule)
beclomethasone inhalation aerosol 5 × 200 5 × 200 none 250 μg × several Table 9
(including inhalation 50 μg/dose doses doses (5 puffs of
device) (200 doses) 50 μg/dose)
or or
250 μg/dose (1 puff of
(200 doses) 250 μg/dose)
or
budenoside (including inhalation aerosol 5 × 100 5 × 100 none 400 μg × several
inhalation device) 200 μg/dose doses doses (2 puffs of
(100 doses) 200 μg/dose)
calcium gluconate gel gel 2% (25 g tube) 5 tubes 5 tubes 5 tubes apply several times Tables 8, 16
calcium gluconate effervescent 20 tablets 20 tablets none 5g×2 Table 16
tablets 1 g
168 IMDG Code Supplement (incorporating amendment 39-18)
Appendix 14 – List of medicines and equipment
Format/ Recommended minimum quantity
Medicine Dosage Reference
Standard unit A B C
cefuroxime injection 10 × 750 mg none none 750 mg × 3 Table 10
substance
750 mg
(750 mg bottle)
charcoal, activated powder 2 × 50 g or 2 × 50 g or none 50 g × 1 Table 10
(50 g bottle) 10 × 5 g 10 × 5 g
or effervescent
granules
MFAG
(5 g sachet)
diazepam rectal solution 5 × 10 mg 5 × 10 mg none 10 mg × 1 to 5 Tables 4, 5, 6
10 mg
(ampoule)
erythromycin tablets 500 mg 30 × 500 mg none none 500 mg × 4 Table 9
ethyl alcohol solution 99.5% 3 × 500 mL 1 × 500 mL none 25 mL × 8 (25 mL 99.5% Table 19
(500 mL bottle) in 250 to 300 mL water or
soft drink)
fluorescein eye test strip 1 package none none 1 test strip × 2 Appendix 7
furosemide (frusemide) injection fluid 5 × 5 mL none none 50 mg × 3 Tables 2, 9
10 mg/mL
(5 mL ampoule)
metoclopramide injection fluid 30 × 2 mL 10 × 2 mL 5 × 2 mL 10 mg × 3 Tables 7, 8, 10,
5 mg/mL 13, 15, 20
(2 mL ampoule)
metronidazole suppositories 1 g 10 × 1 g none none 1g×3 Table 10
morphine sulphate injection fluid 40 × 1 mL 10 × 1 mL 5 × 1 mL 10 to 20 mg × 6 or 7 Tables 7, 8,
10 mg/mL 10, 13
(1 mL ampoule)
naloxone injection fluid 5 × 1 mL 5 × 1 mL 2 × 1 mL 0.4 mg × 1 to 5 Tables 4, 13
0.4 mg/mL
(1 mL ampoule)
oral rehydration salts sachets or tablets ORS to give ORS to give none 1 L × 3 or more Tables 8, 10, 11
(ORS) to dissolve in 18 L solution 6 L solution
water
paracetamol tablets 0.5 g 200 tablets 100 tablets 20 tablets 1g×4 Tables 7, 8, 13
phytomenadione injection fluid 10 × 1 mL none none 10 mg × 2 or more Table 14
10mg/mL
(1 mL ampoule)
plasma expander infusion fluids 3 × 500 mL 3 × 500 mL none 500 mL × 1 to 3 Appendix 13
(gelatine-based) (500 mL bottles)
rehydration salts – see Tables 8, 10, 11
oral rehydration salts
Salbutamol inhalation aerosol 5 × 200 5 × 200 1 × 200 200 μg × several Table 9
(including inhalation 100 μg/dose doses doses doses (2 puffs of 100 μg/dose)
device) (200 doses)
or
terbutaline inhalation aerosol 5 × 50 doses 5 × 50 doses 1 × 50 doses 500 μg × several
(including inhalation 500 μg/dose (1 puff of 500 μg/dose)
device) (50 doses)
sodium chloride, 9 mg/mL (0.9%) 5×1L 3×1L 1×1L 1 L × 1 to 3 Table 7
isotonic (saline) (1 L bottle)
terbutaline – see
salbutamol
IMDG Code Supplement (incorporating amendment 39-18) 169
Medical First Aid Guide
List of equipment
Column A of the following table shows the recommended minimum requirements for ships when casualties cannot be
hospitalized on shore within 24 hours.
Column B shows the recommended minimum requirements for ships when casualties can be hospitalized on shore
within 24 hours.
Column C shows the recommended minimum requirements for ships when casualties can be hospitalized on shore
within 2 hours.
MFAG
Recommended minimum quantity
Equipment Reference
A B C
Guedel airway Appendix 3
size 2 2 2 2
size 3 2 2 2
size 4 2 2 2
IV cannula (size 1.2) 10 10 none Appendix 13
IV set 10 10 none Appendix 13
Needles size 0.8 100 50 10
Simple face mask (allowing up to 10 10 2 Appendix 3
60% oxygen), disposable
Valve and bag manual resuscitator 2 2 2 Appendix 3
Oxygen cylinder 40 L/200 bar* 40 L/200 bar* none Appendix 3
Portable oxygen-giving set ready 1* 1* 1
for use (2 L/200 bar) (2 L/200 bar)
Spare portable oxygen cylinder 1* 1* 1
(2 L/200 bar) (2 L/200 bar)
Rectal infusion set catheter 1 none none Appendix 13
(26 French gauge) 6 none none
Syringes
2 mL 100 50 10
5 mL 10 10 none
*
A minimum of 44 L/200 bar oxygen of which there should be at least:
• One complete portable set with 2 L/200 bar oxygen ready for use with a spare cylinder of 2 L/200 bar and
• One oxygen cylinder of 40 L/200 bar (at ship’s hospital, assembled for direct use) with one flowmeter unit (two ports) for supplying of
oxygen for two persons at the same time. If more than one non-portable oxygen cylinder is used, there must be two flowmeter units
for supplying of oxygen for two persons at the same time.
170 IMDG Code Supplement (incorporating amendment 39-18)
