Medication Policy No .210
Whenever possible, parent(s)/guardian(s) are requested to administer medication at home. Every effort should be made by the parent(s)/guardian(s) and their physician or certified nurse practitioner to schedule the administering of medication, when viable, at times during which the student is not in school, thus eliminating disruption to the student’s school day and maximizing his/her participation in the learning process.
No medication will be dispensed by any school district personnel unless the parent/guardian provides the certified school nurse or health room technician with the proper authorization and medication as stated in School Board Policy No. 210. Please see the policy in its entirety for complete information.
Students requiring medication during school hours must have authorization from their physician on file in the nurse’s office and the authorization must include the following:
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Date
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Full name of student
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Name of medication
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Prescribed dosage
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Time schedule for administration
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Length of time (duration) to be given
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Diagnosis
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Possible side effects
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Additional medication currently prescribed
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Special conditions
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Signature of physician and address and telephone number (including fax number, if possible).
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Orders signed by a certified registered nurse practitioner (C.R.N.P.) must include an official office stamp or be submitted on official office letterhead that includes the name and address of the physician.
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Signature of parent(s)/guardian(s)
Medication must be in the original container from the pharmacy/doctor. The container must be clearly labeled with the full name of the student and the medication name/dosage.
To ensure the safety of all students, all medications, to include, EpiPens, Twinject, asthma inhalers, “pump” administered medications such as insulin – and supplies needed for administration of medication that include any item that is classified as a “sharp” (e.g. syringes with needles, lancets, etc.) must be brought to school by a parent/guardian and given directly to the school nurse or health room technician. All medication to be taken during school hours must have the accompanying Authorization for Medication During School Hours form on file in the nurse’s office.
Students may transport emergency medications to and from school (asthma inhalers, Epi-Pens, Twinject, “pump”-administered medications such as insulin) once proper authorization is on file in the nurse’s office. In cases where the parent/guardian requests that their child be permitted to carry/self-administer medication as per the order of the physician, the medication must be in a properly labeled pharmacy container with the student’s name and the parent/guardian must accept the legal responsibility should the medication be lost, given to or taken by a person other than their child. The parent/guardian must also acknowledge that the school district has no legal responsibility to ensure that the medication is taken or when the above-named student administers his/her own medication and bears no responsibility for the benefits or consequences of the administration of the medication. The medication for self-administration by the student must be labeled with the student’s name and signed and dated by the certified school nurse or health room technician that the student has authorization to carry and self-administer. The student will be responsible for keeping the medication in a secure location. The right to self-carry medication may be revoked if the student is mishandling the medication.
Students in possession of over-the-counter, prescription or other types of drugs which have not been registered with the certified school nurse or health room technician will be considered to be in violation of the school district’s drug and alcohol policy and will be subject to disciplinary action.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) must pick up any unused medication by the last day of the school year. Any unused medication that is not picked up by this time will be discarded.
The Pennsylvania Public School Code, Section 1414.2(g) allows parents/guardians to request an exemption to the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector for their student. In order to request this exemption, contact the school nurse to make an appointment to discuss this decision, review and sign the opt-out form.
Parents/guardians wishing to choose this option should meet with the school nurse to discuss their decision and then review and sign the opt-out form in the presence of the school nurse.