USE OF MEDICATION | Administrative Guideline Manual

5330 - USE OF MEDICATION

The medication which may be administered is defined in Policy 5330 - Use of Medication. In those circumstances where a student must take prescribed medication during the school day, the following guidelines are to be observed:

Parents should determine with their physician's counsel whether the medication schedule can be adjusted to avoid administering medication during school hours.
The Medication Request and Authorization Form 5330 F1, Authorization for Prescribed Medication or Treatment, must be filed with the respective building principal before the student will be allowed to begin taking any medication during school hours. This written and signed request form is to be submitted on an annual basis and will include:
1. student's name;
2. medication and dosage or procedure required;
3. times required;
4. special instructions including storage and sterility requirements;
5. date prescribed medication will be started;
6. date prescribed medication will no longer be needed;
7. physician's name, address, and telephone number;
8. probable side effects;
9. authorization by both the physician and the parent for a student to self-administer the medication but only in the presence of an authorized staff member or parent;
10. authorization for school personnel to administer the prescribed medication, if necessary;
11. agreement/satisfactory arrangement to deliver medication to/from school;
12. agreement to notify the school in writing if the medication, dosage, schedule, or procedure is changed or eliminated. A new request form must be submitted each school year or for each new medication.
All medication to be administered during school hours must be registered with the principal's office. Upon receipt of the medication, the SCHOOL NURSE shall verify the amount of medication brought to the school and indicate that amount on the student medication log sheet. Medication should be kept in a locked cabinet in the clinic or nurse's office, when possible.
Medication that is brought to the office will be properly secured. Medication may be conveyed to school directly by the parent or transported by transportation personnel (bus driver and/or bus aide) at parental request. This should be arranged in advance. A two to four (2-4) weeks' supply of medication is recommended. Medication MAY NOT be sent to school in the student's lunch box, pocket, or other means on or about his/her person. An exception to this would be prescriptions for emergency medications for allergies and/or reactions.
For each prescribed medication, the container shall have a pharmacist's label with the following information:
1. student's name
2. physician's name
3. date
4. pharmacy name and telephone
5. name of medication
6. prescribed dosage and frequency
7. special handling and storage directions
The staff member administering the medication shall ensure that the student takes the medication properly.
Any unused medication unclaimed by the parent will be destroyed by the administrative personnel when a prescription is no longer to be administered or at the end of a school year.
At no time shall medication be administered in a dosage that exceeds that listed in the current Physician’s Desk Reference.
If a student does not take the medication at the proper time, the staff member responsible for administering the medication shall take appropriate steps to locate the student and administer the medication and to then notify the parents of the importance of the child reporting on time for his/her medication.
All medication is to be administered in such a way as to not unduly embarrass the student.
A log for each prescribed medication shall be maintained which will note the personnel giving the medication, the date, and the time of day. This log will be maintained along with the physician's written request and the parent's written release.
A count of each student's medication is to be made every week and the amount reconciled with the original amount indicated on the log sheet and the number administered since the last count.
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.
Auto-Injectable Epinephrine
The school principal may fill a prescription for auto-injectable epinephrine to be stored at school if an Indiana licensed health care provider with authority to issue a prescription writes a prescription for auto-injectable epinephrine for the school. The school must store the auto-injectable epinephrine in a safe location to which only school personnel have access.
A school nurse may administer auto-injectable epinephrine to any of the following individuals if the individual is demonstrating signs or symptoms of life-threatening anaphylaxis and the individual does not have epinephrine at the school or the individual's prescription is not available:
1. students at the school
2. school personnel
3. visitors at the school
School employees may administer auto-injectable epinephrine that is stored at school pursuant to this guideline if:
1. the school employee has received training in:
  1. recognizing anaphylaxis; and
  2. the proper administration of auto-injectable epinephrine
  by a health care provider who is licensed or certified in Indiana, whose practice includes the administration of auto-injectable epinephrine, who has received training in the administration of auto-injectable epinephrine, and who is knowledgeable in recognizing the symptoms of anaphylaxis and the administration of auto-injectable epinephrine; and
2. the individual to whom the epinephrine is being administered is:
  1. a student at the school;
  2. a member of school personnel; or
  3. a visitor at the school.
  Auto-injectable epinephrine must be administered in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines and the above provisions.
Narcan or Other Overdose Administration Drug
The school principal may fill a prescription for an overdose administration drug to be stored at school if an Indiana licensed health care provider with authority to issue a prescription writes a prescription for an overdose administration drug for the school. The school must store the overdose administration drug in a safe location to which only school personnel have access.
A school nurse or School Corporation employee who has received training on drug overdose response and treatment, including the administration of an overdose intervention drug, may administer an overdose administration drug obtained via a prescription written for the Corporation by a prescriber described above to an individual who is experiencing an apparent opioid-related overdose while
1. on school property
2. during school hours
3. at a school event
if the school nurse or Corporation employee is acting in good faith and attempts to summon emergency services either immediately before or immediately after administering the overdose intervention drug.
The Superintendent shall delegate or assume the responsibility for annually registering with either the State Department or local health department in the county where the Corporation is located in a manner prescribed by the State Department of Health.
The Superintendent shall ensure that education and training on drug overdose response and treatment, including the administration of an overdose intervention drug is provided at least every two (2) year(s) to all school nurses and all Corporation employees who may administer an overdose administration drug.

A student may possess and use a topical, non-aerosol sunscreen product while on school property or at a school sponsored event or activity. The student does not have to have a physician’s note or prescription for the product nor is the student required to store the product in a specific location if the product is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Corporation personnel shall not assist with the application of a topical sunscreen product.

Errors in Administering Medications

In the event of a medication error, the individual responsible for administering the medication at the time the error occurred must file the proper incident report (5330 F4) as documentation of the error and follow procedures outlined for medication errors.

The correct medication must be administered to the correct student at the correct time (within thirty [30] minutes before or after the prescribed dose is specified), in the correct dosage, by the correct method of administration, with accurate documentation. Deviation from this standard constitutes a medication error. A dose that is missed (omitted) for whatever reason may also be considered a medication error.

Examples of medication errors include but are not limited to the following:

administering the wrong medication
administering the wrong dose of the medication
administering the medication at the wrong time
administering the medication in the wrong way (e.g. ear drops placed in the eye)
administering the medication to the wrong student

If the individual administering the medication is not the school nurse, upon realization that an error has occurred shall notify the school nurse, supervisor, and school principal. If the individual administering the medication was not the school nurse, the individual administering the medication shall find the student and, if necessary, accompany the student back to the nurse's office for observation until the school nurse has arrived.

The school nurse shall:

assess the student;
notify the student's parents;
contact the Poison Control Center, if necessary;
contact the student's physician, if necessary;
take remedial actions, as necessary;
review the medication errors incident report form for completeness and accuracy of information provided;
provide additional education to staff involved in the medication error incident, as needed.

The principal shall:

contact the student's parents, if the school nurse has not already done so;
review the medication errors incident report form;
report the incident to the Superintendent.

A student refusing to take a medication does not constitute a medication error. The refusal shall be documented on the daily medication long and the parents shall be notified of the refusal.

The principal in conjunction with the school nurse shall review all incident reports at least annually to determine factors that contribute to errors in administering medications and if changes should be made to the procedures for administering medications or to the process of responding to medication errors.

Revised 10/12/04
Revised 8/11/15
Revised 8/8/17
Revised 12/11/18