District Nurse

MEDICATION PROCEDURES

Parents should determine, with their physician’s advice, whether the medication schedule can be adjusted to avoid administering medication during school hours.

MEDICATION DURING SCHOOL

• When medication must be administered at school, written permission on the Parent’s Request for Administration of Medication at School Form must be kept in the medication administration area and retained until the end of the school year. A new request form must be submitted each school year and for each new medication.
• The order of the physician must appear on the Parent’s Request for Administration of Medication at School Form. If this has not been done, the school nurse may call the physi­cian for a telephone order to be followed by written orders.
• All prescription medications must be in the original container labeled by the pharmacy. The label must specify the name of the medi­cation, the dosage to be given, and the time of administration, as well as the student’s name. Over-the-counter medications must be in the original container.
• The medication must be given by an adult: administrator, teacher, or another staff person designated by the administrator, such as a building secretary. Unless administered by a school nurse (R.N.), the medication must be administered in the presence of another adult.
• Parents must notify the school in writing if the medication dosage, schedule, or procedure is changed or eliminated.
• Refill of all medications shall be the responsibility of the parents. For grades K-6, parents must deliver medication to/ from school. For grades 7-12, agreement between parent and principal for satisfactory arrangements for transportation of medication should be made. Daily carrying of medication should be avoided, unless previous arrangements have been made through the school principal.
• Any unused medication unclaimed by the parent will be destroyed by school personnel when a prescription is no longer to be admin­istered or at the end of the school year.

Self Administration of Medication

• Prescription medication may be self-administered at the high school level with written permission of the parent and physician on the Medication Prescriber/Parent Authorization Form for Self Administration/Self Possession. Over the counter medication may be self-administered in grades 7-12. Parents are encouraged to notify school staff if the student is on long-term medication, for example, anti-epileptics, psychotropic medication etc.
• If, for supportable reasons, the principal wishes to discontinue the privilege of a student self administering a medication, s/he shall notify the parent of this decision in sufficient time for an alternative administration to be established.

Documentation

• The person administering the medication must complete the Medication Record to include the following information:
  • Student Name
  • Name of medication
  • Dosage (i.e. 10 milligrams)
  • Date
  • Time
  • Initials of person dispensing the medication
  • Initials of person witnessing the dispensing of medication
  • Pupil medication containers shall be kept in a locked and reasonably secure place (safe, file cabinet, locked box, etc.) not accessible to pupils with the exception of emergency medication such as Epinephrine, which shall be kept in a safe but unlocked area.
  • At the discretion of the teacher, or upon request of the doctor or parents, a Medication Monitoring Record may be kept daily to record effects of the medication. This record may be copied and sent to the physician or parent. The original will be kept in   the student’s records.
  • The first (or initial) dose of a new medication will not be given at school due to the possibility of an allergic reaction.  A count of any medication classified as a controlled substance will be taken upon delivery of the medication to school. The date of receipt plus amount received will be recorded in the comment section of the “School District Daily Medication Log.”

Non-Prescription Medication Given by Mouth

Grades K-6

For students in grades K-6, over-the-counter drugs may be administered during school hours only if:

• When medication must be administered at school, written permission on the Parent’s Request for Administration of Medication at School Form must be kept in the medication administration area and retained until the end of the school year. A new request form must be submitted each school year and for each new medication.
• Over-the-counter medications must be in the original container and must be labeled with the student's name.
• The medication must be given by an adult: administrator, teacher, or another staff person designated by the administrator, such as a building secretary. Unless administered by a school nurse (R.N.), the medication must be administered in the presence of another adult.
• Parents must notify the school in writing if the medication dosage, schedule, or procedure is changed or eliminated.
• Refill of all medications shall be the responsibility of the parents. For grades K-6, parents must deliver medication to/ from school. For grades 7-12, agreement between parent and principal for satisfactory arrangements for transportation of medication should be made. Daily carrying of medication should be avoided, unless previous arrangements have been made through the school principal.
• Any unused medication unclaimed by the parent will be destroyed by school personnel when a prescription is no longer to be admin­istered or at the end of the school year.

Grades 7-12

Students in grades 7-12 may carry and administer their own over-the-counter medications.

URGENT SITUATIONS

No over-the-counter medication will be administered by school personnel unless the above guidelines are met with the following exception:

• There is written approval from the student’s physician or other health care provider and the student’s parent/guardian to possess and use the inhaler, AND
• The building administrator has received a copy of the written approvals from the physician and parent.

• School personnel should administer only physician-prescribed medication.
• Schools are to be notified, in writing, of a student who may need emergency medication by his/her parents or physician. In all cases, this information should be conveyed to the District’s nurse who will be responsible for ensuring that selected staff members receive appropriate instruction in the administration of such medication.
• The medication must be taken on field trips and should be available to the leader or designee who should be trained in its proper application.
• The Transportation Department should be notified so the appropriate bus driver can be made aware of the student who may need emergency medication. Bus drivers transporting such students should have the medication available and be trained in its proper application.
• The student’s parent is responsible for providing the medication and is to be informed that the school will call 911 when his/her child receives the medication.
• If a serious situation does occur requiring the administration of emergency medication, the school personnel will contact 911 and request that a mobile unit be dispatched to the school to deal with complications that may arise. The parents and District’s nurse should also be contacted.
• Injectable medications will only be given in a life-threatening situation, (e.g. Epinephrine for a severe reaction to a bee/ wasp sting). Therefore, the parent releases the District from any liability or damage, which may occur to the child from the administration of injectable medication.

All syringes used for the administration of injectable medication must be disposed of in the appropriate sharps container provided for this purpose in each building office or given to the EMS if an emergency medication such as an Epipen was used.

• Contact the parent and arrange for the parent to submit the Medication Prescriber/Parent Authorization Form for Self Administration/Self Possession as soon as possible;
• Take the medication from the student and keep it in the office until a completed form has been submitted;
• Place the student in school restriction for failure to abide by school rules;
• Suspend the student from school.

The purpose of any disciplinary action on this matter should be to make it clear to all students and parents, that, because of its policy on drug use, the school cannot allow possession or use of any form of unauthorized drug or medication at any time.