A provincial ruling to restrict which paramedics can administer IV treatments has gone into effect – and Ottawa’s emergency responders are not pleased.

For a decade, both primary care paramedics and advanced support paramedics have given intravenous treatments to patients in emergency situations. But advisors to the Ministry of Health have pushed to allow only the more senior advanced support responders to do the job.

Anthony DiMonte, Branch Chief of the Ottawa Paramedic Service, calls the provincial ruling a mistake. “It's a very short sighted decision made by a group of people who don't practice in the field,” said DiMonte. “We've been doing it for the last 10 years under medical control without any issue.”

Paramedic teams typically include one primary care and one more highly-trained advanced support paramedic. Until today, primary care paramedics were able to give IV treatments on the scene while an advanced care paramedic prepared medications. Now primary care paramedics will have to take special training courses and annual upgrades to administer intravenous treatments.

Critics of the ruling say that until enough primary care paramedics complete the provincially regulated training, the change will cost valuable seconds at the scene of an emergency.

Robert Wilson of Ottawa’s Professional Paramedic Association laments the effect the ruling may have on patient treatment. “It takes away my partner's skill,” Wilson told the CBC. “It's going to delay us getting to the hospital.”

The Ontario Paramedic Association says it will lobby against the decision.