Medicines in School
In school we have a policy for supporting children with medical conditions so that they can continue to attend school and so that their education is not adversely affected by illness. As part of this policy, we recognise that there may be times when a child will require some medicine in school. This might be for a long-term condition which requires medical treatment, or for a short-term illness or ailment where either prescription or non-prescription medicines or treatments are needed but they are otherwise well enough to come to school.
Below are some of the main points from our Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy in relation to bringing medicines in to school:
- Medicines can only be administered in school when we have been instructed by either a medical professional or a parent or carer to do so, and they can only be administered if it would be detrimental to the child’s health or school attendance not to do so. Medicines can be prescription or non-prescription.
- We can only administer medicines with written parental consent and a form must be filled in and handed in to the school office along with the medicine itself; these should be handed in by an adult to a member of school staff and must not be kept with the child. Blank forms can be collected from the school office and they can also be filled in on the day you first bring in a medicine if this is easier.
- School can only administer medicines that are in-date, labelled, in the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and which include instructions for administration, dosage and storage. Pre-loaded medicines like Salbutamol cannisters or adrenalin or insulin auto injectors must still be in date but can be accepted in the dispenser rather than the packaging.
- We will store any medicines in a safe location and keep a record of when they have been administered and by whom. Inhalers are kept safely in the child’s classroom or the location in which they are working, and all other medicines are kept according to their storage instructions and out of reach of the children.
- We cannot administer any herbal medicines unless with the agreement of a health professional.
All of the above applies to all types of medicines, creams, pain relief and treatments. A form should be filled in for all of these and no types of treatments, however minor they may seem, should be kept in a child’s possession during the school day in case they are accidentally used incorrectly or given to someone else.
We hope the above is helpful and are happy to talk through our policy in order to support both you and your child.