Policies and Guidelines for Medications, Treatments,
and Procedures
The parent or guardian must provide:
A written request including
Student Name, Name of Drug, Date, Clear Instructions and Signature; Medications
and personal treatment or procedure supplies for course of therapy or up to a
month’s supply
Permission for the RN and the
legal prescriber to consult directly or through professional staff if
requested.
The prescribing physician or other legal
prescriber:
Must have prescriptive
authority in the State of
Must provide a written order
for controlled substances, parenteral medications, long term prescriptions,
PRNs and OTCs to be administered for
more than 5 days, to confirm verbal orders, to change doses or schedules, and
to request policy exceptions. FAXs are
acceptable. Orders are valid for one
calendar year.
Students will:
Comply with the instructions
and directions of the school nurse and/or principal’s medication designee.
Use only their own properly
prescribed or family supplied medications an drugs.
Elementary: All medications, equipment, supplies, etc. will be in
the control of the nurse or principal’s designee
Secondary: Responsible students may carry their own medications
with written parental permission, except for controlled or parenteral
substances, parenteral supplies/equipment, and medications requiring
refrigeration. Listed exceptions must be
under the control of the nurse or principal’s designee.
School employees will:
Possess sufficient knowledge
and skill to safely and properly administer medications, therapies, and
procedures.
Store medications and
procedure supplies in a locked cabinet or restricted access designated site(s).
Provide selected supplies and
equipment such as medication measuring cups, peak flow set-up, and nebulizers.
Obtain written requests,
authorizations, instructions, and sufficient information, from parent(s) and
doctor(s)
Be familiar with expected and
possible benefits, side-effects, adverse reactions, and interactions of
drugs/therapies.
Follow the “five right”: right
patient, right medication (therapy), right form, right dose, and right time.
Administer
medications/therapies at the least disruptive time as close to the prescribed
schedule as possible.
Maintain an accurate record of
medications and procedures prescribed and administered.
Monitor efficacy of and
response to medications, therapies, and procedures, as indicated and document
accurately.
Communicate appropriate
information and concerns to the client, family, physician, and appropriate
co-workers.
When error is recognized, take
immediate action to safeguard the student’s health, and report to HS director.
All medications (and treatments or
therapies):
Must be current, in the
original container, and labeled with the student’s name and the name of the
drug
Must be approved by and
consistent with FDA recommendations (refer to PDR) or standards of care
Must be prescribed for or
necessary for usage or administration during school hours
Indications and directions in Physicians’
Desk References will be used as guidelines for administration of meds
OTCs may be re-initiated for
recognizable and recurrent needs such as orthodontia pain with parental request
Are usually returned to the
student when Rx or Tx completed: OTCs are returned at the end of the week
Injections, other Parenteral medications
and supplements, invasive procedures:
All procedures must be done in
the clinic in compliance with sharps and bloodborne pathogen precautions
Established parenteral lines
may be continued in the classroom – observe all safety and body fluid
precautions
The
following types and categories of drugs and therapies will not be administered:
Prescriptions and/or
Over-the-Counter medications that are contraindicated, inappropriate, or
non-efficacious
Immune system stimulants such
as allergy injections, vaccines, preparations, products, or skin tests
Vitamin and Nutritional
Supplements (exception: physician prescribed essential nutrition replacement
therapy)
Experimental, foreign, or
imported medications or therapies
Homeopathic, Naturopathic, or
Herbal remedies, preparations, or medications
Preparations, Compounds,
Mixtures, Elixirs, Solutions or other Remedies of unknown content and/or
benefit
Doses in excess of recommended
or recognized limits
Out-of-date medications;
Expired prescriptions
Medications or therapies
prescribed for another individual or specie
Routine medications outside of
school hours including those for students in the Extended School Day program
Exceptions
May be authorized if
sufficient safeguards are in place to protect the student and others. Decisions regarding special requests will be
made by the Director of LISD Health Services in consultation with school officials,
and/or the Medical Director of the Denton Co. Health Department, and/or the
prescribing physician.