Name of School Corbets Tey School Policy Adopted 01/12/11 Next Review 01/12/12 Reviewed by Governors Name: Governors Signature: Administration and Storage of Medication Policy 1. The Board of Governors and staff of Corbets Tey School wish to ensure that pupils with medication needs receive appropriate care and support at school. The Headteacher will accept responsibility in principle for members of the school staff giving or supervising pupils taking prescribed medication during the school day where those members of staff have volunteered to do so. Please note that parents should keep their children at home if acutely unwell or infectious. 2. Parents are responsible for providing the Headteacher, Class Teacher or Authorised Person with comprehensive information regarding the pupil s condition and medication (See Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 for non-emergency medical needs). Health Care Plans for emergency medical needs will be supplied by the PCT School Nurse. 3. Prescribed medication will not be accepted in school without complete written and signed instructions from a parent (See Appendix 2) and a signed Headteacher Agreement (See Appendix 3). 4. Staff will not give a non-prescribed medicine to a child unless there is specific prior written permission from a parent (See Appendix 2) and a signed Headteacher Agreement (See Appendix 3). 5. Only reasonable quantities of medication should be supplied to the school (for example, a maximum of four weeks supply at any one time). 6. Where the pupil travels on school transport with an escort, parents should ensure the escort has clear verbal or written instructions relating to any medication sent with the pupil, which is to be handed to a member of staff at the destination. This will include travelling to school to a respite carer for medication to be administered at school or during respite care. Medication will however not be administered by the school unless written and signed agreements being in place, prior to the medication being sent in to school. Transport staff will not be trained in administering medication and should not be asked to do so. During any emergency situation arising during transportation of children, the relevant emergency services will be contacted. 7. No medication should be sent in to school in pupils bags. If pupils are travelling into school via community transport services the medication and relevant information/consent forms should be handed to the bus/taxi escort to deliver to the school office. The school office will then ensure that class staff received the medication and the relevant information/consent forms from parents.
8. Each item of medication must be delivered to the Class Teacher or Authorised Person, in normal circumstances by the parent, in a secure and labelled container as originally dispensed. Each item of medication must be clearly labelled with the following information: Pupil s Name Name of medication Dosage Frequency of administration of dispensing Storage requirements (if important) Expiry date. If medication is sent in not in the original dispensed packaging (ie: because it has to be disguised in food/drink) a photocopy of the above medication label should be provided with the medication. The school will not accept items of medication without the correct dispensing label attached. 9. Storing Medication 8.1 Medication will be kept in a secure place, out of the reach of pupils. Unless otherwise indicated all medication to be administered in school will be kept in a locked medicine cabinet. Every class in the school and the school office has a lockable secure cabinet dedicated for the storage of medication. 8.2 Large volumes of medicines should not be stored. Staff should only store, supervise and administer medicine that has been prescribed for an individual child. Medicines should be stored strictly in accordance with product instructions (paying particular note to temperature) and in the original container in which dispensed. Staff should ensure that the supplied container is clearly labelled with the name of the child, the name and dose of the medicine and the frequency of administration. This should be easy if medicines are only accepted in the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist in accordance with the prescriber s instructions. Where a child needs two or more prescribed medicines, each should be in a separate container. Non-healthcare staff should never transfer medicines from their original containers. 8.3 Children and class staff should know where their own medicines are stored and the location of the key. All classes will keep a list of all children who may need medication displayed on the red safeguarding display board in their class. The head is responsible for making sure that medicines are stored safely. All emergency medicines, such as asthma inhalers and adrenaline pens, should be readily available to children and should not be locked away. Many schools and settings allow children to carry their own inhalers. Other non-emergency medicines should generally be kept in a secure place not accessible to children. 8.4 A few medicines need to be refrigerated. They can be kept in a refrigerator containing food but should be in an airtight container and clearly labelled. There should be restricted access to a refrigerator holding medicines. 9. Access to Medication 9.1. Children need to have immediate access to their medicines when required. The school will make special access arrangements for emergency medicines that it keeps. However, medicines should only be accessible to those for whom they are prescribed. No child will carry their own medicines on the school site (except those already mentioned in 8.3) 10. Hygiene and Infection Control 10.1. All staff should be familiar with normal precautions for avoiding infection and follow basic hygiene procedures. Staff should have access to protective disposable gloves and take care
when dealing with spillages of blood or other body fluids and disposing of dressings or equipment. 11. The school will keep records, which they will have available for parents. Please see: Appendix 1 Non-Emergency Medication Plan Appendix 2 Parental Authority to Administer Medication Appendix 3 Headteacher Setting Agreement to Administer Medication Appendix 4 Record of Medicine Administered to an Individual Child Appendix 5 Record of Medicine Administered to All Children Appendix 6 Authorisation to Administer Rectal Diazepam Staff should complete these forms and obtain the necessary authorisation from parents as soon as they are notified by parents that there is a need to administer any medication for their child. The forms will be available from the school office, on the school website www.corbetsteyschool.org.uk and on the school MLE www.fronter.com/havering/login in the School Policies Room (staff will need usernames and passwords to access this site). Copies of all completed forms should be kept in classrooms and in the school office in a central file. No medication should be given to a pupil until the relevant consent form have been received from a parent (Appendix 2) and the headteacher has authorised this by signing the appropriate authoristion form (Appendix 3). 12. If children refuse to take medicines, staff will not force them to do so, and will inform the parents of the refusal, as a matter of urgency, on the same day. If a refusal to take medicines results in an emergency, the school s emergency procedures will be followed. 13. It is the responsibility of parents to notify the school in writing if the pupil s need for medication has ceased. 14. It is the parents responsibility to renew the medication when supplies are running low and to ensure that the medication supplied is within its expiry date. 15. The school will not make changes to dosages on verbal parental instructions. Any changes need to be put in writing and agreed by the headteacher. 16. School staff will not dispose of medicines. Medicines, which are in use and in date, should be collected by the parent at the end of each term. expired medicines or those no longer required for treatment will be returned immediately to the parent for transfer to a community pharmacist for safe disposal. 17. For each pupil with long-term or complex medication needs, the Headteacher, will ensure that a IHCP (Individual Health Care Plan) is drawn up, in conjunction with the appropriate health professionals. 18. No pupils will be permitted to administer their own medication on school premises without staff support or knowledge. 19. Staff who volunteer to assist in the administration of medication will receive appropriate training/guidance through arrangements made with the School Health Service. 20. The school will make every effort to continue the administration of medication to a pupil whilst on trips away from the school premises, even if additional arrangements might be required. However, there may be occasions when it may not be possible to include a pupil on a school trip if appropriate supervision cannot be guaranteed. 21. All staff will be made aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency.
Publications and Websites Managing medicines in schools and early-years settings (DfES/Department of Health, 2005) http://www.education.gov.uk/popularquestions/schools/healthandsafety/a005621/whatdepartmental-guidance-is-there-on-medication-in-schools
Non-Emergency Medication Plan Name of school/setting Child s name Group/class/form of birth Child s address Medical diagnosis or condition Review date Family Contact Information Name Phone no. (work) (home) (mobile) Name Phone no. (work) (home) (mobile) Clinic/Hospital Contact Name Phone no. G.P. Name Phone no. Describe medical needs and give details of child s symptoms Daily care requirements (e.g. before sport/at lunchtime) Describe what constitutes an emergency for the child, and the action to take if this occurs
Follow up care Who is responsible in an emergency (state if different for off-site activities) Form copied to
Parental agreement for school/setting to administer medicine The school/setting will not give your child medicine unless you complete and sign this form, and the school or setting has a policy that the staff can administer medicine. Name of school/setting Name of child of birth Group/class/form Medical condition or illness Medicine Name/type of medicine (as described on the container) dispensed Expiry date Agreed review date to be initiated by Dosage and method Timing Special precautions Are there any side effects that the school/setting needs to know about? Self administration Procedures to take in an emergency Contact Details Name Daytime telephone no. Relationship to child Address I understand that I must deliver the medicine personally to [name of member of staff] Yes [agreed member of staff] I accept that this is a service that the school/setting is not obliged to undertake. I understand that I must notify the school/setting of any changes in writing. Signature(s) Please note that parents should keep their children at home if unwell or infectious. Each item of medication must be delivered to the Class Teacher or Authorised Person in a secure and labelled container as originally dispensed. Each item of medication must be clearly labelled with the following information: Pupil s Name Name of medication Dosage Frequency of administration of dispensing Storage requirements (if important) Expiry date
Head teacher/head of setting agreement to administer medicine Name of school/setting It is agreed that [name of child] will receive [quantity and name of medicine] every day at [time medicine to be administered e.g. lunchtime or afternoon break]. [Name of child] will be given/supervised whilst he/she takes their medication by [name of member of staff]. This arrangement will continue until [either end date of course of medicine or until instructed by parents]. Signed (The Head teacher/head of setting/named member of staff)
Record of medicine administered to an individual child Name of school/setting Name of child medicine provided by parent Group/class/form Quantity received Name and strength of medicine Expiry date Quantity returned Dose and frequency of medicine Staff signature Signature of parent Time given Dose given Name of member of staff Staff initials Time given Dose given Name of member of staff Staff initials
Record of medicine administered to an individual child (Continued) Time given Dose given Name of member of staff Staff initials Time given Dose given Name of member of staff Staff initials Time given Dose given Name of member of staff Staff initials Time given Dose given Name of member of staff Staff initials
Record of medicines administered to all children Name of school/setting Child s name Time Name of Dose given Any reactions Signature Print name medicine of staff
Authorisation for the administration of rectal diazepam Name of school/setting Child s name of birth Home address G.P. Hospital consultant should be given Rectal Diazepam mg. If he has a *prolonged epileptic seizure lasting over minutes OR *serial seizures lasting over minutes. An Ambulance should be called for * OR If the seizure has not resolved *after minutes. (*please enter as appropriate) Doctor s signature Parent s signature
NB: Authorisation for the administration of rectal diazepam As the indications of when to administer the diazepam vary, an individual authorisation is required for each child. This should be completed by the child s GP, Consultant and/or Epilepsy Specialist Nurse and reviewed regularly. This ensures the medicine is administered appropriately. The Authorisation should clearly state: when the diazepam is to be given e.g. after 5 minutes; and how much medicine should be given. Included on the Authorisation Form should be an indication of when an ambulance is to be summoned. Records of administration should be maintained using Form 5 or similar