Administration of Medicines Policy

 

Introduction

This policy is formulated in accordance with guidelines issued by the Primary School’s Managerial Bodies and the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation.

 

Aims and Objectives of this Policy

  • Clarify areas of responsibility
  • Provide a framework within which medicines may be administered in cases of emergency or in instances where regularised administration has been agreed with parents/guardians.
  • Minimise health risks to children and staff on the school premises.
  • Fulfil the duty of the Board of Management in relation to Health and Safety requirements.
  • Safeguard school staff-members who are willing to administer medication.

 

Relationship to School Ethos

This school aims to promote the full and harmonious growth of every child. Furthermore this school supports the principles of inclusiveness and equality of access and participation in the school. This policy is in keeping with this school ethos through the provision of a safe, secure and caring school environment for all.

.     While the Board of Management has a duty to safeguard the health and safety of pupils when they are engaged in authorised school activities, this does not imply a duty upon teachers to personally undertake the administration of medication.  

 

General School Procedures

  1. Non-prescribed medicines will neither be stored nor administered to pupils in school.
  2. Prescribed medication should be self-administered, if possible, under the supervision of a parent or an authorised staff member.
  3. Staff will only administer prescribed medication when arrangements have been put in place as outlined below.
  4. No staff member can be required to administer medication to a pupil.
  5. In an emergency situation qualified medical assistance will be secured at the earliest opportunity and the parents contacted.
  6. Prescribed medication is not stored in the school if at all possible. The child should bring the minimum necessary dose to school with them each day.
  7. When emergency medication needs to be available in the school storage arrangements must be agreed in writing with the Board of Management.
  8. Under no circumstances will any medication be administered to a child other than the child for whom it was prescribed.
  9. Parents of children with chronic or life-threatening medical conditions will be asked to complete a detailed Healthcare and Emergency Plan. This plan will be shared with any staff members that come into regular contact with the child. A copy of the Emergency Plan, with the child’s photo attached, will be kept in the yard folder.
  10. This school ensures that all staff protect student confidentiality.
  11. We recommend that any child who shows signs of illness should be kept at home; requests from parents to keep their children in at lunch break are not encouraged.  A child too sick to play with their peers should not be in school. In general a child deemed fit enough to go to school is deemed fit enough to engage in all school activities. There is no extra facility in the school for supervision of children during lunch break.

 

Responsibilities of Parents

 

  1. Parents are required to inform the school in writing of any medical condition suffered by their child. This information should be provided at enrolment into the Senior School or at the development of any medical condition at a later date.
  2. The parent/guardian should write to the Board of Management requesting the Board to authorise a staff member to administer the prescribed medication or to monitor self-medication. The letter should also contain the following:

 

Child’s full name and address

The name of the medication to be administered

The exact dosage and time of the administration

The procedure to be followed in the administration and storing of the medication.

Signature of parent or guardian

(Appendix 1)

 

  1. Parents/Guardians are responsible for ensuring that the medication is delivered to the school and handed over to a responsible adult. This medication must be clearly labelled with the child’s name, the name and dose of the medication and the frequency of the dose. Parents are responsible for ensuring that an adequate supply is available and that it is renewed prior to expiry date. The storage of medicines will be decided on a case-by-case basis as detailed in Appendix 1.

 

  1. Parents are further to required to indemnify the Board and authorised members of staff in respect of any liability that may arise regarding the administration of prescribed medication in school. The Board will inform the schools’ insurers accordingly.(Appendix 1)

 

  1. Changes in prescribed medication or dosage should be notified immediately to the school with clear written instruction of the procedure to be followed in storing and administering the new medication.

 

  1. Requests for administration of medication should be renewed at the beginning of each school year.

 

  1. Where children are suffering from a serious or chronic medical condition parents should outline clearly in writing what should and should not be done in a particular emergency situation, with particular reference to what may be a particular risk to the child. They will be asked to complete a Healthcare and Emergency Plan to assist the school in caring for their child. Parents/ guardians are also asked to enclose four passport colour photographs of their child. These are to be used to help all staff to easily identify children with special medical needs.

 

  1. Parents/ guardians are required to provide a telephone number where they may be contacted in the event of an emergency arising.

 

  1. When school outings take place it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure that suitable arrangements have been put in place for their child.

 

 

Responsibilities of the Board of Management

 

  1. The Board of Management of St.Fiachra’s Senior School authorizes all staff members to administer prescribed medicines where necessary and where expressly requested to do so by parents of children with serious health issues , providing a written request to do so has been received from the child’s parents or guardians,  and where the parents/guardians have signed the indemnity clause in the school’s Administration of Medicines Policy, and where the staff members have received adequate  training in the administration of the medicines. The Board of Management will facilitate such training as and when necessary.
  2. The Board shall inform the school insurers accordingly.
  3. Where necessary the Board shall make arrangements for the safe storage of medication.
  4. The Board, through the Principal or Special Duties Teacher with responsibility for First Aid, will ensure that the photographs provided by parents/ guardians will be available to staff.
  5. The Board shall support and implement the Healthcare and Emergency Plans agreed between the school and parents.

 

Responsibilities of Staff Members

 

  1. Teachers have a professional duty to safeguard the health and safety of pupils, both when they are authorised to be on the school premises and when they are engaged in authorised school activities elsewhere.
  2. No staff member can be required to administer medication to a pupil.
  3. Any staff member who is willing to administer medicines should do so under strictly controlled guidelines in the belief that the administration is safe.
  4. Medication must not be administered without the specific authorisation of the Board of Management.
  5. In administration of medication to pupils staff members will exercise the standard of care of a reasonable and prudent parent.
  6. Staff will ensure that they have written instruction and/or training in the administration of the medication.
  7. Staff will keep a written record of the date and time of any medication which they have administered or have supervised being self-administered. (See Appendix 2)
  8. In emergency situations, staff should do no more than is obviously necessary and appropriate to relieve extreme distress or prevent further and otherwise irreparable harm. Qualified medical treatment should be secured in emergencies at the earliest opportunity.
  9. Each class teacher will ensure that the medical alert cards in his/her classroom contain up up-to-date information. The medical alert card will state clearly where any medication or additional information is stored.
  10. Class teachers will maintain Healthcare Plans and Emergency plans in a clearly identified and accessible place. They will store any medicines or equipment in accordance with the agreed written plan.
  11. The Principal or Deputy-Principal will ensure substitute staff is apprised of the medical alert card system.
  12. Staff on yard duty will familiarise themselves with any Emergency Plans contained in the yard duty box.

Responsibilities of the Special Duties Teacher

  1. On receipt of relevant information from the Board of Management the Special Duties Teacher will compile a central register of medical conditions in the school each year.
  2. The Special Duties Teacher will maintain a school register of completed Healthcare Plans. Copies of the Plan will be given to (i) the class teacher (ii) any Learning Support/Resource teacher involved with the child (iii) the SNA who is on duty in the child’s yard.
  3. If an Emergency Plan is also needed (as in the case of Severe Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes or Epilepsy) then the single page Emergency Plan with the child’s photo attached will be available in (i) the yard duty box (ii) the Principal’s office (iii) the classroom on the Medical Alert Card (iv) in the central register.
  4. The Special Duties Teacher will ensure that staff-members are made aware of the information relevant to the children in their care which is available in the “Managing Chronic Health Conditions at School Resource Pack for Teachers and Parents”.

Success Criteria

The effectiveness of this policy is measured by the following criteria:

  • Compliance with Health and Safety legislation
  • Maintaining a safe and caring environment for children
  • Positive feedback from parents and school staff
  • Ensuring the primary responsibility for administration of medicines remains with the parents/guardians

 

Ratification and Review

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management in 2009.  It was reviewed and updated in January 2017. It will be reviewed in the event of incidents but not later than 2020.

 

       Administration of Medicines Policy

Appendix  1        Parent’s Request Form and Instructions

I/We request that the Board of Management of St. Fiachra’s Senior School authorise the administration of prescribed medicine during the school day in accordance with the instructions given below. I/We understand that we must inform the school in writing of any changes of medicine/condition.

Child’s name: __________________________________    Date of Birth:  _______________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

Class: ____________­­­_______     Teacher’s Name: __________________________________________

Emergency Phone Contacts

  • Name:________________________________________ Phone:_________________________
  • Name:________________________________________ Phone:_________________________
  • Name:________________________________________ Phone:_________________________
  • Name:________________________________________ Phone:_________________________

Child’s Doctor: _______________________________________  Phone:  ________________________

Medical Condition: ___________________________________________________________________  (For some conditions such as Anaphylaxis, Diabetes, Epilepsy and Severe Asthma we will also require a more detailed Healthcare and Emergency Plan)

Medication: _________________________________________________________________________

Dosage: ____________________________________________________________________________

Is the child to be responsible for taking the medicine him/herself?     ___________________________

 

 

 

Procedure for Administration of Medication  (When, Why, How): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Procedure for Storage of Medication: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Circumstances under which action should be taken/medication should be administered: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

I/We the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the child named above hereby give permission to St. Fiachra’s Senior School to administer the medicines outlined and I/we indemnify the Board of Management and authorised members of staff in respect of any liability that may arise regarding the administration of the prescribed medicines.

 

_____________________________________________________ Dated: ________________________                                        

  (Signature of parent/guardian)

 

 

_____________________________________________________ Dated: ________________________                                         

         (Signature of parent/guardian)

 

 

 

Appendix 2

Record of Medication Administered by Staff

Date Time Child’s name Medication Dose Given Reaction Signature Print name
 

 

 

         

 

 

 

   
 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

   
 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

   

 

MEDICAL ALERT CARD

Pupil’s Name

 

 

 

 

Medical Condition

 

 

 

Symptoms to watch out for:

 

 

 

 

Activities to be careful of:

 

 

 

Treatment and Medication (only to be administered by an authorised adult):

 

 

 

Location of medication and detailed information:

 

 

 

 

School Contact: (Teacher/SNA and Room Number)

 

 

 

 

Parents/Guardians Contact Details: