Regulation 2870-SC – Guidelines For Administering Medication To Students

(Policy 2870)
(Regulation 2870)
(Adopted – )

With the exception of students in special education programs, or those with Section 504 Accommodation Plans, the school district is not obligated to supply or administer medication to children. However, the Board recognizes that some students may require medication for chronic or short-term illness during the school day to enable them to remain in the school and participate in their education. Therefore, the Board directs the superintendent to establish procedures for the administration of medication for any student provided the following requirements are met. In the event the following guidelines are abused, the student’s privileges will be suspended.

The administration of medications, including over-the-counter medications, is a nursing activity that must be performed by a registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse. A registered professional nurse may delegate and thereby will supervise the administration of mediation by unlicensed personnel who are trained by the nurse to administer medications. All students should report to the Health Unit to take any medication.

I. Prescription Medication

1. The authorized prescriber shall provide the District with a written request that the student be given medication during school hours. The request shall state the name of the student, name of the drug, dosage, frequency of administration, route of administration, and the prescriber’s name. For chronic cases, the diagnosis/indication for use of the medicine shall be provided. When possible, the prescriber should state adverse effects and applicable emergency instructions.
   
   In lieu of the prescriber’s written request, the District will accept a prescription label properly affixed to the medication in question. Said label must contain the name of the student, name of the drug, dosage, frequency of administration, route of administration, diagnosis and the prescriber’s name.
2. The parent/guardian shall sign a permission form requesting that the school district comply with the physician’s requisition to give medication. This permission must be renewed at least annually. The district will not administer the first dose of any medication.
3. The parent/guardian will supply the medication to the school nurse in a properly labeled container from the pharmacy with only those doses to be given at school, with instructions for any special need for storage; e.g. refrigeration. No more than one-week supply of medicine will be kept at the school.

II. Over-the-Counter Medication

1. The student’s parent/guardian shall provide a written request that the student be given medication during school hours. The request shall state the name of the student, name of the drug, dosage, frequency of administration, route of administration, and the prescriber’s name. The diagnosis/indication for use of the medicine shall be provided. When possible, the prescriber should state potential adverse effects and applicable emergency instructions.
2. A parent/guardian will provide a written request that the District comply with the authorized prescriber’s request to give medication. This permission must be renewed at least annually.
3. Several over-the-counter products are available in the Health Unit. A MEDICATIONS STANDING ORDER has been signed by the physician liaison and is on file. The school nurse should administer medication containing antihistamines, cough suppressants and/or stimulants, i.e., Ephedrine, Nicotine or Caffeine, with the parent permission form on file.
4. Responsibility for taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen should be assumed by students in grades nine through twelve. No more than a daily dosage should be carried in the original container.

III. Emergency Medication

All schools in the district should be equipped with medication to be administered in the event of a severe allergic reaction. The emergency medication and physician’s orders for such medication shall be kept in a secure location but easily accessible to qualified designated personnel. Written standing orders will be obtained annually for the administration of emergency medication.

IV. Self-Administration of Medication

A physician may recommend that an individual student with a chronic health condition, such as asthma or other potentially life-threatening respiratory illness, assume responsibility for his or her own medication as part of learning self-care. The District may permit such a student to self-administer medication by way of a metered-dose inhaler, provided that the following guidelines may have been met:

1. The parents/guardians of the student must provide the District with a written authorization for the self-administration of medication, a written medical history of the student’s experience with the respiratory illness and a plan of action for addressing any emergency situations that could reasonably be anticipated as a consequence of administering the medication and having the illness.
2. The parents/guardians of the student must provide the District with written certification from the student’s physician that the student has asthma or other potentially life-threatening respiratory illness, and that the student is capable of and has been instructed in the proper method of self-administering the medication and has been informed of the dangers of permitting others to use the student’s medication.
3. The District must inform the parents/guardians of the student, in writing, that the District and its employees or agents shall incur no liability as a result of any injury arising from the self-administration by the student, absent any negligence by the District, its employees or agents; or as a result of providing all of the above mentioned relevant information to the school nurse, absent any negligence by the district, its employees or agents, or in the absence of a school nurse, to the school administrator.
4. The parents/guardians of the student must sign a statement acknowledging that the district shall incur no liability as a result of any injury arising from the student’s self-administration of medication, and that the parents/guardians shall indemnify and hold harmless the district and its employees or agents against any claims arising out of the student’s self-administration of medication.
5. Permission for the student to self-administer medication for asthma or other potentially life-threatening respiratory illness is effective for the school year for which it is granted and is renewed for each subsequent year upon meeting the conditions set forth above.

V. Storage, Administration, and Documentation of Medication

1. A parent/guardian or other responsible party designated by the parent/guardian will deliver all medication to be administered at school to the school nurse or designee. All medication, prescription or over-the-counter, must be in a pharmacy or manufacturer-labeled container. The District shall provide secure, locked storage for medication to prevent diversion, misuse, or ingestion by another individual.
2. The administration of medication, including over-the-counter medications, is a nursing activity, governed by the State of Missouri Nursing Practice Act. It must be performed by the registered professional school nurse. The nurse may delegate and supervise the administration of medication by unlicensed personnel who are qualified by education, knowledge and skill to do so. The registered nurse must provide and document the requisite education, training and competency verification. The nurse is also empowered to contact the prescriber or pharmacist filling the prescription to discuss the prescription if the nurse has questions regarding the administration of such medication.
3. A record documenting in ink or via computer, the student’s name, date, time, name of medication, reason for administration, dosage administered and signature of the individual who administered the medication must be maintained.

VI. Parent/Guardian Administration

In situations where the above requirements are not met, or any time the parent/guardian chooses, the parent/guardian may come to school to administer medicine to his/her student.

VII. Exception for Potentially Harmful Administration

It shall be the policy of this District that the District will not knowingly administer any medication to a student if the District’s registered professional school nurse believes in his/her professional judgement, that such administration could cause harm to the student, other students, or the District itself. Such cases may include, but are not necessarily limited to, situations in which the District is being asked to administer medication in a dosage that exceeds the highest recommended dosage listed in the current annual volume of the Physician’s Desk Reference or other recognized medical or pharmaceutical text.