Alexander M. Patch Elementary
School
Stuttgart,
Germany
Medication in school can become a school nurse’s nightmare. Therefore, it is essential to address this topic with the parents. The laws ensuring education for all children have brought more chronically ill students into the school system. Many children require medication during the school day, either routinely or episodically. All nurses have a background in pharmacology as well as all aspects of medication administration. Those experienced nurses are accustomed to administering medication, monitoring the effects and providing drug education. Clearly, parental authority, physician’s authorization, and delegation of nursing activity are major issues that must be addressed. Medication in school is regulated by succinct written policy.
To ensure that safe and consistent guidelines are followed, all personnel administering medication adheres to the medication policy. Our policy here at Patch Elementary school states that Standing Orders are written by a physician and apply only to students in which the order may be applicable. Due to the complexity and joint service provision of health care services to the DoDEA organization, it is not feasible to provide universal standing orders for DoDEA school nurses’ worldwide.
The following additional information and clarification is provided:
· Individual specific standing orders should be obtained for children with long-term illnesses that require treatment at school.
· These standing orders can be obtained from your school nurse, Clinic or printed from this file and must be renewed annually.
· The only medications that shall be given at school are medications that CANNOT be given at home.
· Only physician prescribed medications with proper permission forms which match the pharmacy prepared medication label will be administered.
· No “over-the-counter” medications such as Tylenol, aspirin, antacids, and decongestants will be administered UNLESS ordered by a physician with the requirements listed on the Medication form.
· Over-the-counter medications shall NOT be administered merely with “telephone permission” from parent.
· All unused and discontinued medication shall be returned to the parent. Unused medication NOT picked up by the parent shall be disposed of at the local medical treatment facility.
· German prescriptions may be administered if the medication prescribed is equivalent to American medication given for the same diagnosis. A form for use with German physician is in the form area for download.
The Prescription medication must be brought to school in the original container, properly labeled by the pharmacy or physician, stating the name of the student, the medication, the dosage and the date issued. The medication will remain at the school for the duration of the prescription.