The antidote stocking fact sheets aim to explain antidote stocking across our services.
Each antidote fact sheet explains:
- the role of the antidote
- dosing
- our recommended stocking and our reasons.
There isn't specific stocking advice for medications that your hospital may have readily available for other reasons.
We don’t advise routinely stocking some antidotes because they have limited effectiveness. For example:
- redback spider antivenom
- stonefish antivenom
- fat emulsion
- glucagon.
Our fact sheets are for the stocking and use of Australian antidotes only.
We aren’t responsible for:
- the accuracy of information if used in another country
- any actions you may take after reading these fact sheets.
Antidote stocking fact sheets
| Antidote | Form | Tertiary | Regional | Rural | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acetylcysteine | Ampoule | 40 (min) | 40 | 20 (min) | 20 |
| Activated Charcoal | Bottle | > 5 | > 5 | 2 | 2 |
Atropine *(Readily available as standard resuscitation drug) | Ampoule | * | * | * | * |
Antivenom - Box Jellyfish *(Coastal hospitals north of Gladstone inclusive) | Vial | 2-4 | 1 | 0-1 | 0 |
| Antivenom - Brown Snake | Vial | 2 | 1 | 0-1 | 0 |
| Antivenom - Funnel Web Spider *(South East Queensland only) | Vial | 2-4 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0 |
| Antivenom - Polyvalent | Vial | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Antivenom - Red Back Spider *(Specific stocking for use as an antidote is not recommended) | Vial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Antivenom - Sea Snake (Coastal centres only) | Vial | 1 | 1 | 0-1 | 0 |
Antivenom - Stonefish *(Specific stocking for use as an antidote is not recommended) | Vial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antivenom - Tiger Snake | Vial | 2 | 1 | 0-1 | 0 |
*(Readily available as standard resuscitation drug) | Vial | * | * | * | * |
Calcium Gluconate *(Readily available as standard resuscitation drug) | Vial | * | * | * | * |
| Desferrioxamine | Vial | 10g | 10g | 0-5g | 0 |
| Digoxin Immune Fab | Vial | 5 | 2-5 | 0-2 | 0 |
| Dimercaprol | Vial | 0-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dimercaptopropane sulfonate (DMPS) | Ampoule | 0-10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ethanol | Bottle | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Flumazenil | Ampoule | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0-5 |
| Folinic Acid calcium leucovorin; calcium folinate | Vial | 10 | 10 | 0-10 | 0 |
| Folinic Acid calcium leucovorin; calcium folinate | Tablet | 10 | 0-10 | 0 | 0 |
(Queensland Children's Hospital & Townsville Hospital only) | Vial | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*(Stock must be sourced from interstate) | Vial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*(Readily available as standard resuscitation drug) | Vial | * | * | * | * |
| Hydroxocobalamin | Kit | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Idarucizumab | Vial | 2 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 |
| Levocarnitine | Ampoule | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
*(Specific stocking for use as an antidote is not recommended) | Bottle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Methylene Blue | Vial | 6 | 6 | 0-6 | 0 |
| Naloxone | Ampoule | > 25 | > 25 | 15 | 5 |
| Naltrexone | Tablet | 30 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
Octreotide *(Readily available for alternate indications) | Ampoule | * | * | * | * |
| Paraquat detection kit urinary sodium dithionite test | Kit | 1 (min) | 1 (min) | 1 | 1 |
| Physostigmine | Ampoule | 10 | 5 | 0-5 | 0 |
| Pralidoxime | Vial | 0-10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pyridoxine | Ampoule | 0-50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sodium Bicarbonate *(Readily available as standard resuscitation drug) | Vial | * | * | * | * |
| Sodium Nitrite | Ampoule | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0-2 | 0 |
| Sodium Thiosulfate | Vial | 25g | 25g | 0-25g | 0 |
| Succimer dimercaptosuccinic acid; DMSA | Capsule | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Vitamin K1 *(Readily available for alternate indications) | Ampoule | * | * | * | * |
Last updated: July 2023