The Wilkes County Board of Education recognizes that students may need to take medication during school hours. The school district will administer drugs or medication prescribed by a doctor upon the written request of the parents. A physician's signature is required on the Physician's Authorization of Medication for a Student at School form, which details the name of the drug, dosage, and time interval for the medication that the student is to receive. Under no circumstances are any drugs to be administered that have not been prescribed by a physician and with respect to which parental permission has not been obtained. Contraindications for administering of medicine must be clearly stated by the physician. To minimize disruptions to the school day, medicines should be taken at home rather than at school whenever feasible. The school district is not required to administer any medication that could be taken at home.
Following the WCS medical advisor's protocol, the school nurse is permitted to administer over-the-counter medication to a student with parental permission. For emergencies arising from an unidentified allergic reaction, the school will follow the system medical advisor's protocol regarding school nurse administering epinephrine.
The school will assume no responsibility for students who self-medicate or for the transportation of medication to or from school. Students who self-medicate must follow the administrative rules regarding self-medication procedures or risk possible violation of the Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco provisions of Student Behavior Policy.
Each school must establish rules on the administration of prescription and non-prescription drugs. These rules must be made available to all students and parents each school year. All school plans must conform to the following requirements:
- The health and welfare of the student must be of paramount concern in all decisions regarding the administration of medicine.
- Students with special needs will be afforded all rights provided by federal and state law as enumerated in the Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Special Needs. Students with disabilities also will be accorded all rights provided by anti-discrimination laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- No student can possess, use, or transmit any drug or counterfeit drug prohibited by Board of Education policy 4325, Narcotics, Alcoholic Beverages, and Stimulant Drugs.
- School personnel will administer medicine from a centralized location and medicines maintained by the school district for a student will be kept in a locked and secure place.
- Any school personnel who will be administering medicines will receive appropriate training.
- School personnel may administer only drugs clearly prescribed or intended for the student. Medication that has been prescribed by the physician must be brought to school in a container appropriately labeled by the pharmacy or by the physician. Medication should be delivered to the main office of the school by the parent. They should not be carried on the bus. If school personnel have concerns regarding the appropriateness of a drug or dosage for a student, a confirmation should be obtained from the student's doctor or another doctor prior to administering the medicine or allowing a student to self-administer a medicine.
- Any student requiring medication for asthma or subject to anaphylactic reaction, or both, or who is diabetic should be allowed to self-administer their medication during the school day, at school-sponsored activities, or while on the bus or other school property. "Asthma medication" means a medicine prescribed for the treatment of asthma or anaphylactic reactions and includes a prescribed asthma inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector. A) The parent/guardian will provide written authorization for the student to possess and self-administer the asthma medication, or medication for diabetes. B) The licensed health care provider will provide a written statement verifying that the student has asthma or an allergy that could result in an anaphylactic reaction, or both, or has diabetes. The licensed health care provider prescribes the medication for use at school. The licensed health care provider provides a written statement that the student understands, has been instructed in self-administration of the medication, and demonstrates the skill level necessary to use the medication and device necessary to administer the medication. The licensed healthcare provider formulates a written treatment plan and emergency protocol for managing the student's asthma or anaphylaxis episode or diabetes and for medication use by the student. C) The parent will supply backup medication to be kept at the student's school in a location to which the student has immediate access in the event of an asthma or anaphylaxis emergency. D) The student must demonstrate to the school nurse the skill level necessary to use the diabetes or asthma medication and any device that is necessary to administer the medication.
- The person(s) who have been designated by the principal to provide for the security of the medications and for the administration of the medication to the student shall maintain records of the administration as follows:
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- the date and time when the medication is first administered to the student (and each subsequent administration) under the authorized agreement and the name of the drug, dosage, and route; and
- the date when the medication is discontinued.
Medication that is administered only "as needed" is to be recorded each time it is given. The person administering the medicine should record the date, time, and route of administration.
- The school nurse who serves the school will coordinate this program under the direction of the principal. The nurse will review the documentation of medications administered on a periodic basis so that each individual student is effectively monitored. The school nurse will conduct an on-site audit of all medications administered at school and related documentation. These audits will be conducted at least once each school year. Documentation of the audit results will be shared with the school's principal. Additional audits will be conducted as deemed necessary by the school nurse.
- Although efforts should be made not to disrupt instructional time, a parent has the right to administer medicines to his or her child at any time while the child is on school property.
- Any incident/error in administering medication, including but not limited to, incorrect student, incorrect medication, incorrect dose, or incorrect time must be reported to the parent/guardian and principal immediately for appropriate action. A written incident report must be completed for each medication incident/error and attached to the Medication Log.
- A student's prescribed medication(s) will be taken on field trips unless otherwise instructed by the parent/guardian prior to the field trip.
- Written information maintained by the school or school personnel regarding a student's medicinal and health needs is confidential. Parents and students must be accorded all rights provided by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and state confidentiality laws. Any employee who violates the confidentiality of the records may be subject to disciplinary action.
Legal References: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.; Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101; Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232g; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794; G.S. 115C-36, -307(c), GS115C-375.2
Cross References: Parental Involvement (policy 1310/4002), Narcotics, Alcoholic Beverages and Stimulant Drugs (policy 4325)
Adopted: July 26, 2005