Q. I undertake domiciliary visits as part of my job and I wondered if it is necessary for me to carry the same emergency drugs that I keep in the surgery. Would I need to do this if I was visiting a nursing home with its own supply of emergency drugs?

When carrying out home visits for patients, you should make every effort to ensure that the patient will not be disadvantaged by having treatment carried out in an environment which is not a normal dental practice.

Consequently, you should always carry emergency drugs and oxygen etc. If visiting a nursing home that has its own drugs and portable oxygen, then it would be reasonable to accept that situation but always to ensure that the drugs are in date and adequate for emergency purposes.

You may find it useful to read the British Society for Disability and Oral Health guidelines for domiciliary visits which is available on their website