Medication Administration

Guidelines for Prescription Medication

Whenever possible, the parent or guardian should make arrangements so that it is NOT necessary for school personnel to administer medication during the school day. However, there are cases when a student’s health could be compromised by not getting medication during school hours. When sending ANY prescription medication to school, the parent must send:

1. Written parent permission (see Medication Consent Form) authorizing school personnel to administer medication.

2. Written order from the physician (see Medication Consent Form) indicating the necessity of the prescription medication including the dose and how often it can be given. They physician may fax the order to the school.

3. The original prescription labeled container of the medication. For prescription medication, the pharmacist may supply a duplicate labeled container so that one can be kept at home and one can be kept at school. Each container should have the student’s name, medication name, dosage, time to be administered, route (oral, inhaled, etc), and phone number of the pharmacy.

Guidelines for Non-Prescription/Over-the-counter Medication

Requests for the administration of non-prescription medication to students during the school day will be considered on an individual basis, case-by-case. Non-prescription medication sent from home may be kept in the health office for students who may need them more than one time per month. When sending non-prescription medication to school, the parent must send:

1. Written parent permission (see Medication Consent Form – Non Prescription) authorizing school personnel to administer medication.

2. The original labeled container that it was purchased in and must be administered in a manner consistent with the instructions on the label.

Non-prescription medication administered at school will be limited to pain relievers/fever reducers including Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Generic Pain Reliever, etc), Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin), Cough/Cold Substances, Cough drops/throat lozenges. The dosage must follow the recommendation on the manufacturer’s label.

The school nurse may request a physician order for non-prescription medication or further information about the medication from the student’s physician at his/her discretion.

Non-prescription, over-the-counter medication for each student will be kept in the health office and supplied by the parent/guardian.

Storage

Medication to be administered at school will be kept in the Health Office. Exceptions are made for students who may carry an asthma inhaler or Epi-pen, if they have a written doctor’s order and written parent permission to do so. The student is required to demonstrate to the School Nurse that they are properly educated in the administration of the inhaler. Other special requests may be discussed with the Licensed School Nurse.

Field Trips

Health Service staff do not routinely accompany students on field trips, however, medication for an individual student may be sent along, with a teacher or other school personnel being responsible for the administration of the medication as delegated by the school nurse.