Orange County Fire & EMS is proud to introduce a major operational upgrade now installed across all stations: MedFlex machines—secure, state-of-the-art medication dispensing units designed to help us comply with Virginia’s updated drug handling requirements and federal law. These machines allow EMS crews to safely store, access, and track essential medications directly from the station—eliminating the need for hospital-based medication exchanges. This change boosts efficiency and ensures our teams are always ready to respond with the resources they need. Meet the New MedFlex Machines at Orange County Fire & EMS By: Susan Turner, Senior Administrative Assistant, County of Orange Fire & EMS
The shift comes as part of Virginia’s efforts to align with federal standards outlined in the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), which mandates stricter oversight of how prescription drugs are stored, documented, and tracked across the healthcare system. In response, the Virginia Office of EMS and Virginia Board of Pharmacy enacted new rules requiring EMS agencies to improve medication security and traceability —particularly around controlled substances. The MedFlex system meets these requirements by maintaining detailed logs, access controls, and chain-of- custody documentation, giving agencies like ours full visibility and accountability over medication use. “We are excited to deploy these machines to continue to increase efficiency in our field operations and provide advanced services to our citizens,” said Mike Throckmorton, Assistant Chief of Administration. “This would not be possible without the support of the Board of Supervisors as our department tackled the recent pharmacy regulation changes in Virginia.”
This upgrade reflects more than just compliance—it demonstrates our ongoing commitment to modernizing emergency services and delivering the highest standard of care to the Orange County community.
Above: Fire & EMS Chief Nathan Mort, Training Captain Mark Sikora, and Assistant Chief of Administration Mike Throckmorton stand with a new MedFlex unit. Left: Inside the drawer of a MedFlex unit. The machine allows secure storage of a variety of important medications used to serve Orange County patients.
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OCI May 2025
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