Medications may be administered by school staff under the delegation of school, campus and district nurses according to 201 KAR 20:400, KRS 156.502, KRS 158.834, KRS 158.836 and OCBE Administrative Regulation 9020.01-AR.
MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION POLICY OVERVIEW
Please be advised of policies concerning administration of medications by school personnel.
1. Students themselves are not permitted to bring any medications into the school, carry medication on their person or transport medications during bus transportation to/from school. (Exception: Emergency or Life-Sustaining medications prescribed and documented by physician)
2. All prescription medication must be brought into school office by parent/guardian in the most current, original pharmacy-labeled containers. This includes the student’s name, name of drug, dosage, route of administration, specific time of administration, and expiration date. School personnel cannot divide or cut pills in half.
Please provide adequate quantity of medication needed for daily school administration for duration of current prescription, as school staff cannot accept medication from improper containers. Please request two prescription bottles from your pharmacy if needed.
3. All prescription medication will be counted upon receipt by school personnel. Your signature will be required that we have received the documented amount of medication. Please allow adequate time for this when bringing medication to the school office.
4. Medications will be administered according to prescription/manufacturer’s dosing instructions, unless documentation from a physician stating otherwise is received.
5. An Authorization to Give Medication must be signed by parent/guardian for the administration of prescription medication. This form must be current, coinciding with the current prescription medication you are requesting school personnel to administer.
6. An Authorization to Give Medication must be signed by parent/guardian for the administration of over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Each time the student requests an OTC medication, school personnel are required to contact the parent/guardian to communicate the current student complaint. School staff cannot administer OTC medication until parent/guardian has been reached. This is to protect the student from an overdose of medication or change in student’s medical history. OTC medications must be provided to the school in a small, unopened, original manufacturer’s container and can only be administered according to manufacturer’s dosing instructions. Adult strength medications will not be administered to a child without physician authorization and documentation.
7. All oral medications for field trip purposes must be signed in by the parent/guardian in a pharmacy labeled prescription bottle. Only the amount required for the field trip shall be needed. This applies to SCHOOL DAY field trips only, not extended or overnight trips. When prescriptions are filled at your pharmacy, please request one additional pharmacy labeled container. This will provide one bottle for the school day medication and an additional bottle should a field trip be scheduled during that time.
To protect the safety of your child, we must have your adherence to this policy. If you have questions about the policy, or need additional information related to the administration of medication in the schools, please contact School Health Services at 241.3500 ext. 228.