Immediate practice-related changes are limited and include updates to 2 core medical directives (Opioid Toxicity and Withdrawal Medical Directive and Nausea/Vomiting Medical Directive). Paramedics will find changes to auxiliary medical directives within the Chemical Exposure directives and the Special Event directives.
A new clinical app is on its way! Here are the details:
The Ontario Base Hospital Group is pleased to inform you that a new clinical app for Ontario paramedics is coming!
All new app, all new name
In anticipation of creating a new app, we distributed a survey this spring about the naming of a new app. Thank you for completing our survey. We received lots of great suggestions for the new clinical app!
The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario (RPPEO) is pleased to introduce the Fall 2025 Continuing Medical Education (CME) course Critical Interventions, Critical Thinking: From Emergency Childbirth to Medication Safety.
Starting on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, paramedics will have access to the Fall 2025 CME online module via MedicLEARN. This hybrid CME session is designed to enhance your critical thinking and skill mastery in essential areas of paramedic practice.
The Fall CME session is for both Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) and Primary Care Paramedics (PCPs).
What You'll Learn
This Fall, we begin an educational series on patient history-taking as part of a broader focus on advancing paramedic assessment skills. In Fall 2025 CME, you will be digging into two of the twelve different themes: medication history and past medical history. These are essential components of both advanced patient assessment and our ongoing commitment to medication safety.
Paramedics will gain a deeper understanding of how accurate and comprehensive history-taking contributes to clinical decision-making, patient safety, and effective care in the field.
Main Topics
Emergency Childbirth: Gain comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in managing emergency childbirth, including handling complications such as nuchal cord, cord prolapse, shoulder dystocia, and more.
Newborn Resuscitation: Learn and practice life-saving techniques for newborn resuscitation, including CPR, airway management, and positive pressure ventilation.
Medication Safety: Focus on safe medication administration, correct dosing practices, and minimizing errors to ensure patient safety.
Advanced Patient Assessment: Develop advanced skills in taking the best possible past medical history, which improves clinical decision-making and patient safety in both complex and critical situations.
Evaluation
This Fall, you will once again complete evaluation components during both online and in-class CME. This evaluation is formative and supportive, designed to reinforce skill retention and offer constructive feedback.
Why?
Ongoing Competency: RPPEO provides training, feedback, and medical advisories to help paramedics maintain competency across the full scope of clinical practice. We want to create an opportunity for paramedics to refresh their skills, receive feedback, and continue to grow in a structured, supportive environment.
Professional Accountability: While RPPEO facilitates training, paramedics must take an active role in maintaining proficiency in all areas of practice as a healthcare professional.
Medical Oversight: Medical Directors delegate controlled medical acts only to paramedics they believe to be competent. This underscores the importance of maintaining proficiency in all areas.
How?
Pharmacology and Medical Safety Assessment: As part of the Fall 2025 CME, you will complete a Pharmacology/Medical Safety Knowledge Assessment. This assessment is not designed to be pass/fail but to highlight the level of pharmacological understanding that RPPEO, our Medical Director, and our patients expect from paramedics. It is an opportunity for self-reflection, helping you identify areas of strength and areas for further development in pharmacology knowledge.The questions will cover critical topics, including pharmacokinetics, autonomic and CNS pharmacology, cardiovascular and respiratory medications, and much more. Our goal is to build confidence and competence in paramedic decision-making, providing safe, informed, and patient-centered medication practices. By understanding the “poisons” we use - their mechanisms, benefits, and risks - paramedics will be better equipped to provide exceptional care. This tool will reinforce your professional responsibilities in understanding the pharmacology of medications you carry, challenge your clinical thinking, and promote continuous self-directed learning expected of a health professional.
Formative Evaluation: The CME evaluation is not punitive but a helpful tool for skill development, reinforcing learning and giving you a clearer sense of areas for improvement no matter what your scope of practice.
Completion and Certification
Participation in both the online and in-class components of Fall 2025 CME is mandatory for both ACPs and PCPs and contributes to your annual Maintenance of Certification requirements.
Online Module Launch: Tuesday, September 2, 2025 In-Class Sessions Begin: Monday, September 15, 2025 – your service will provide your CME schedule
IMPORTANT NOTICE:All participants must complete the online module before attending the in-person practical component to fully prepare for hands-on practice and discussion.
For certification and continuing education requirements, please visit RPPEO.ca for more information. You are encouraged to check your status in MedicNET from time to time so that you may verify your progress toward annual Maintenance of Certification requirements. MedicNET now automatically emails you when you complete a milestone (such as Fall CME) to help remind you of your progress toward maintenance of certification
We look forward to your participation in this engaging CME experience, which is designed to build critical skills and help paramedics continue to provide safe and effective care for your patients.
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Spring 2022 CME features live events and online content
Spring 2022 CME is a two-part offering again this year, with both virtual workshops for live participation or recorded viewing and online learning modules.
Two optional live virtual workshops are coming to Spring 2022 CME's core learning for RPPEO-certified ACPs! PCPs are also invited to participate in the live or recorded CME events.
The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario is pleased to launch Spring 2023 CME's online learning component on Monday, March 27, 2023.
In Spring 2023 CME, RPPEO presents "Discharge from Care," provincially developed training about out of hospital treat and discharge. This is the training that paramedics require to receive authorization to apply the new auxiliary medical directive options in the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards (ALS PCS) version 5.1 for patient discharge planning.
The Online Medical Consultation (OMC) service is supporting paramedicine in our region with real-time physician consultation for paramedics during patient care. To further enhance the use of this critical service, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the OMC YouTube Channel.
This dedicated platform features the OMC Video Series, designed to empower paramedics and Base Hospital Physicians with practical insights, actionable tips, and tools for optimizing OMC consultations. Whether you're navigating complex cases, refining communication during consultations, or staying updated on best practices, these videos are tailored to meet your needs.
The BLS Patient Care Standards are the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care expectations with respect to how paramedics will interact with their patients.
This Clinical Bulletin provides paramedic practice guidance from the Regional Medical Director on the appropriate administration of naloxone in the context of opioid toxicity, and differentiates naloxone from the new combined medication for opioid withdrawal in the prehospital context, buprenorphine/naloxone.
Paramedics are invited to consult Health Canada's posted version of the Canadian monograph for buprenorphine/naloxone (trade name "Suboxone") for more detailed information of this new drug's pharmacology, indications, contraindications, and risk management.
We invite paramedics who have questions or concerns about this Clinical Bulletin, naloxone, buprenorphine/naloxone, Opioid Use Disorder, or opioids more generally to contact quality@RPPEO.ca.
Note that RPPEO has not yet authorized any paramedic use of the auxiliary aspects of the Opioid Toxicity and Withdrawal Medical Directive in the ALS PCS. While buprenorphine/naloxone is not yet available for paramedic administration within the RPPEO jurisdiction, we are planning the infrastructure and training needed to support implementation of this important treatment.
Each paramedic may find their current practice authorizations in the most recent RPPEO Certification Letter available within the 'My Profile' section on MedicNET. When RPPEO issues a new Certification Letter, it is also provided to the paramedic via email.
This is the first RPPEO Clinical Bulletin. The format is intended to provide clinical discussion about issues affecting paramedic practice. RPPEO Clinical Bulletins communicate the best front-line strategies for emerging clinical issues in the region using rich formats with text, images, charts or other visual supports. In contrast to Medical Advisories, Clinical Bulletins do not provide new direction; rather, they clarify concepts and inform paramedics and other partners about clinical practice.
RPPEO Clinical Bulletins are available at RPPEO.ca in the RPPEO Policies section.
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RPPEO paramedics are invited to attend an online discussion about the landmark "DOSE VF" study on October 6, 2023 at 10am. Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, principal investigator and lead author of the paper, Defibrillation Strategies for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine, will present and host a discussion.
This live webinar is presented as part of RPPEO Fall 2023 CME. Paramedics who attend the live event will receive credit toward Fall CME requirements. This year, ACPS are required to complete Fall CME. PCPs are welcome to attend this event and any who are planning to complete Fall CME will receive credit.
The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario is pleased to announce the Ottawa Hospital’s appointment of Dr. Michael Austin, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC (PTM) to the position of Regional Base Hospital Medical Director effective July 1, 2023.
The Online Medical Consultation (OMC) service is supporting paramedicine in our region with real-time physician consultation for paramedics during patient care. To further enhance the use of this critical service, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the OMC YouTube Channel.