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Health Information & Advocacy Center

Plan ahead for your child's medicine at school

By Dixie Jordan and Carolyn Allshouse

September is a month of hope and promise for children with disabilities. The school year is off to a new start, and parents and children alike are full of expectation that this will be a good year. A major area of importance that is sometimes overlooked in the frenzy to become organized for school is how to plan the child's medicine regimen for the school day.

Many children take prescription medication at school. A bit of careful planning at the beginning of the school year can help parents track their child's medicine use at school, and let them know when supplies are low. Running out of medicine can create all types of problems for children and their teachers. For some children it can affect their ability to sit and listen, for others it can have a major affect on health.

The following tips are to help parents ensure that their child's medicines are taken properly and safely, to prevent lapses in medication use, and to minimize the opportunity for misuse or abuse by others.

1. Contact the school nurse to let her or him know that your child will need medicine at school. Find out the school's policies on giving prescription medication to students and who will be in charge of giving your child the medicine.
2. Schools require written permission from you and your child's doctor to give your child medicine. Be sure you obtain a copy of the permission form from the school, sign it, and have your child's doctor sign it, too.
3. Be sure to bring the medicine in its original container. Ask the pharmacy or your child's doctor for an extra prescription bottle for school use, if you need one. The bottle should list the name of the medicine, the name of the doctor, the dosage, the time of day it is to be given, and the way in which it is to be given.
4. Count the number of tablets you take to school, and have the school nurse or other responsible school person do a recount in your presence. Ask the school to maintain a log of the date and the amount of medicine you brought to school. It is important to list the strength of each dose as well.
5. Ask that the person who gives your child medicine at school make sure that the child actually swallows it while the adult watches. Some children avoid taking their medicine, and it may fall into the hands of other children.
6. Ask that the nurse verify the identity of your child each time before giving the medicine.
7. Teach your child to check his or her medicine each time before taking it. Help the child to understand the responsibility for taking medicine correctly. Schools are busy places, and it is not unheard of for a child to be given the wrong prescription accidentally.
8. If your child needs to have the school medicine supply at home over a holiday, ask the nurse to verify, in your presence, the quantity of medicine you are taking home with you. This is a normal precaution that parents should take with all medicines that are given at school.
9. Discuss with the school nurse the type of medicine your child is taking and any potential side effects of which the nurse or other school staff, including your child's teachers, should be aware.
10. If your child has complex medical issues or requires multiple medications or procedures in school, make sure your child has a written health plan for school and a written emergency plan. For more information about health and emergency plans talk with the school nurse and your child's doctor. To see a sample health plan go to PACER Center's Health Center Web site: www.pacer.org/health/.