The dental practice emergency drugs list that CQC publishes covers adrenaline, aspirin, glucagon, glucose, glyceryl trinitrate spray, midazolam oromucosal solution, medical oxygen and salbutamol. CQC’s mythbuster on medical emergencies gives that list, citing NICE guidance on medical emergencies in dental practice.
This article covers practices in England. It is not clinical advice and it should not be used to decide what to give a patient. The dentist responsible for the practice should confirm your kit against the current British National Formulary (BNF) and Resuscitation Council UK guidance.
Who sets the standard
Three bodies matter here, and they point to one another.
- General Dental Council (GDC). It says all registrants must follow the guidance on medical emergencies and training updates issued by Resuscitation Council UK.
- Resuscitation Council UK. Its Quality Standards for primary dental care are the main document. For medical emergencies other than cardiorespiratory arrest, it refers readers to the BNF.
- CQC. It expects a practice to follow the national guidance issued by Resuscitation Council UK, and considers drugs and equipment when it reviews if a practice is safe, relating to Regulation 12 and Regulation 17.
Resuscitation Council UK is not a regulator. Its standards carry weight here because the GDC and CQC both point to them.
CQC dental emergency drugs
CQC lists these as what should be available to manage common medical emergencies, under the heading of recommended practice:
- adrenaline/epinephrine injection, adrenaline 1 in 1000 (adrenaline 1 mg/mL as acid tartrate), 1 mL amps
- aspirin dispersible tablets 300 mg
- glucagon injection, glucagon (as hydrochloride), 1-unit vial (with solvent)
- glucose (for administration by mouth)
- glyceryl trinitrate spray
- midazolam oromucosal solution
- medical oxygen
- salbutamol aerosol inhalation, salbutamol 100 micrograms/metered inhalation
If there are ampoules in the kit, CQC says there must be adequate numbers of suitable needles and syringes.
The GDC notes that clinical dental settings staffed by dentists, hygienists and therapists are to have an emergency drugs kit. These lists do not apply in the same way to everyone. The GDC says clinical dental technicians cannot buy or hold the prescription-only medicines in a kit and are not expected to have one. A practice led by a hygienist or therapist, with no dentist present, needs emergency drugs on site under a Patient Group Direction, but cannot hold or give midazolam in its own right: that needs a dentist’s or doctor’s direction for a specific patient. The GDC also says these practices need to assess the risk of treating a patient without a dentist available.
The minimum equipment
CQC gives this as the minimum equipment recommended:
- automated external defibrillator (AED) and adhesive defibrillator pads
- medical oxygen cylinder, oxygen masks with reservoir and oxygen tubing
- pocket mask with oxygen port
- self-inflating bag with reservoir, adult and child
- clear face masks for the self-inflating bag, sizes 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4
- oropharyngeal airways, sizes 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4
- portable suction, for example Yankauer
- protective equipment: gloves, aprons and eye protection
- razor and scissors
Resuscitation Council UK publishes its own equipment and drug lists for primary dental care, which refer specifically to managing cardiorespiratory arrest.
Defibrillators
Resuscitation Council UK says all clinical areas should have immediate access to an AED, and the GDC endorses that. CQC says that where an AED is not available, it expects to see a robust and realistic risk assessment detailing how one could be accessed in a timely manner.
Oxygen
CQC says cylinders should be easily portable but must allow an adequate flow rate, for example 15 litres a minute, for 30 minutes or until emergency services arrive. Local policy should decide the precise size of cylinder and whether a second one is needed.
How often to check the kit
CQC says that at least every week you should check expiry dates for emergency medicines, the equipment, and the availability of oxygen. It also says manufacturer’s instructions must be followed on use, storage, servicing and expiry, and that a planned replacement programme should be in place for disposable items that have been used or have reached their expiry date.
Medicines and equipment should be in an accessible and central location known to everyone.
Storing glucagon
CQC sets out the storage rules specifically for the GlucaGen HypoKit:
- It should be stored at 2 to 8°C in a refrigerator, and must not be frozen.
- It can be stored outside the refrigerator at no more than 25°C for 18 months, as long as the expiry date is not exceeded, in its original package to protect it from light.
- If it is kept out of the fridge, the provider must be able to show when it left refrigerated storage, for example by labelling it with that date or a revised expiry date, or by showing that 18 months has not passed, using the purchase invoice.
Training
Resuscitation Council UK says dental staff should update their resuscitation knowledge and skills at least annually, that new staff should have resuscitation training as part of induction, and that all training should be recorded. The GDC also recommends at least 10 hours of CPD on medical emergencies in each cycle, with at least two hours every year. There is more in our article on GDC CPD requirements.
Compliance UK includes recurring emergency drugs, oxygen and AED checks and medical emergency training as checks on a default schedule that you can change.
Sources
- CQC: Dental mythbuster 4, drugs and equipment for a medical emergency
- GDC: Medical emergencies
- GDC: Recommended CPD topics
- Resuscitation Council UK: Quality Standards, primary dental care (named by CQC and the GDC as the national guidance)
- Resuscitation Council UK: Primary dental care equipment list (named by CQC and the GDC as the national guidance)
Sources checked on 10 November 2026.