Central community school district medication policy

1. As a general principle, medication shall not be given at school unless it is certified in writing by the attending physician that such medication cannot be administered before or after school hours. 2. Possible exceptions to the general principle: A. Medication for behavior modification (e.g. Ritalin) B. Insect sting allergy—Must have a note from the physician with C. Anticonvulsant medications (e.g., Dilantin, Phenobarbital) D. Medication for asthmatic conditions E. Extenuating circumstances—These will be assessed on an individual basis, e.g. field trips, chronic disorders, i.e. migraine headaches, arthritis, Diabetes, Sickle Cell Anemia, etc. 3. Antibiotics and other short-term medications, including non-prescription medication, shall not be given at school. 4. Children shall not be allowed to have medications in their possession on the school grounds. Teachers and principals have the right to take the medication from the child and contact parents for the appropriate information. Exception: see Self Administration of Medication. 5. Prior to the administering of the medication during school hours, the A. Medication shall not be administered to any student without an order from a physician or dentist licensed in the state of Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, or Mississippi and written parental consent. B. Medication must be brought to school by the parent or guardian in the container that meets the acceptable pharmaceutical standards. C. Both the consent form from the parent or guardian and the medication container shall contain clear instructions identifying the student’s name, prescription number, date, frequency, name of the medication, dosage, route, and physician’s or dentist’s name. D. No more than one month’s supply (thirty-five school days) of the medication shall be kept at school; the empty bottle will be sent home with the student. E. If a student is to receive a fraction of a tablet, for example: ½ tablet, the parent is responsible for scoring (breaking) the tablets. Fractional doses are not exact; therefore, unlicensed personnel are not allowed to break tablets. F. At the beginning of each school year and any time there is a change in medication a new form must accompany the new prescription. G. All medication must be recorded daily on the Medication Log. The Parental Consent and the Physician’s Order Form will be kept with the Medication Log. H. Because of potential danger medication must be kept under lock I. The principal shall designate at least two employees to administer medications in each school. Designated employees must receive the required training for medication administration in the schools. J. A registered nurse and / or licensed medical physician employed by Central Community School District shall review the physician’s or dentist’s order and the Parent/ Guardian Consent for Medication Administration. The nurse shall assess the health status of the specific child in his specific educational setting. The nurse shall determine that, according to the legal standards of the respective licensed health professional when performing such procedure, the administration of medication can be safely performed by and delegated to someone who has received documented training with documented competence other than a licensed health professional. Self-administration of medication by a student may be permitted under the following conditions: A. The completed Parental Consent and Physician’s Order Form have B. The school nurse has evaluated the situation and deemed it to be safe and appropriate; has documented this on the student’s cumulative health record; and developed a plan for general supervision. The plan may include observation of the procedure, student health counseling and health instruction regarding the principles of self-care. C. The principal and the appropriate staff are informed in writing that the student is self-administering prescribed medication. D. The medication is handled in a safe and appropriate manner. 7. The School Board and its employees are not responsible for any unintentional mistakes or oversight in keeping or giving the student’s medication. This policy is in compliance with Act No. 87 of 1993 and the Joint Policy of LSBN (Louisiana State Board of Nursing) and SBESE (State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education).

Source: http://www.centralcss.org/s3web/1002157/docs/medication_policy.pdf