Medical stores
Governing: MSN 1905 (M+F) Amendment 5, Ships' medical stores (August 2026), implementing SI 1995/1802 as amended by SI 1996/2821; REG Yacht Code Common Annex J.
Which notice
Amendment 5 replaced Amendment 4 in August 2026, mainly to correct Annex 1 formatting and restore three medicines to the Advanced Treatment Bag. It reflects the 24th edition of the Ship Captain's Medical Guide (December 2024). Any yacht still working from an older list needs to update it.
Categories
| Category | Definition (MSN 1905 section 2) |
|---|---|
| A | Seagoing, no limitation on length of voyage |
| B | Trips of less than 150 nm from the nearest port with adequate medical equipment; extended to 175 nm if continuously within range of helicopter rescue |
| C | Harbour vessels, boats and craft very close to shore; the UK treats more than 60 nm from a safe haven as not very close to shore |
Lifeboats and liferafts carry Category C stores. Most seagoing yachts are Category A or B.
Excluded vessels include pleasure vessels used for non-commercial purposes and not manned by professional crews. Read that carefully before you tell anyone a private yacht is exempt: both limbs have to be met.
What the notice contains
| Annex | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Medicines and equipment for Categories A, B and C, and items marked RA for risk assessment |
| 2 | Immediate Response Bag |
| 3 | Advanced Treatment Bag, for passenger vessels with no doctor |
| 4 | First aid kits |
| 5 | Extra medicines for ships carrying dangerous goods |
| 6 | Medical documents and TMAS |
| 7 | Guide to the use of medicines |
| 8-9 | Controlled drugs requisition and register |
The Immediate Response Bag
A grab bag that goes to the casualty. Its contents are part of the required inventory, not extra, and because some items are the only one aboard, Annex 2 recommends keeping it in or very close to the medical centre. Items include adrenaline, a pocket face mask, oxygen with a high-concentration mask, a first aid kit and a defibrillator if available. Everyone who might be sent to fetch it should know where it is.
Checking
Section 3.2: a checklist of all medicines and equipment is kept aboard and reviewed at least annually by a competent person, ideally someone other than the officer responsible for the stores. The REG Yacht Code Annex J8 says the same at intervals not exceeding 12 months, covering labelling, expiry, storage and equipment function. Most yachts do a quick monthly check of the IRB, AED and oxygen as well.
Documents to carry
| Category | Annex 6 |
|---|---|
| A and B | Ship Captain's Medical Guide; Controlled Drugs Register |
| C | A first aid manual; Controlled Drugs Register; SCMG if carrying RA items |
All categories except lifeboats and liferafts also carry a copy of the notice.
CAUTION — Owner's responsibility, master's management Section 7 puts the cost of stores on the owner and the management of them on the master, who may delegate to a trained crew member. The MFA holder is often that person on a smaller yacht.
Controlled drugs and administering medicines are covered in Proficiency in Medical Care Onboard Ship (PMC).