Medication Policy

  • All medication, whether prescription of over-the-counter, must be kept in the health office. Medication must be sent in the original labeled container and must be accompanied by a Medication Dispensing Form signed by both the physician
    (or dentist) and the parent.

    With parent permission indicated on the census verification report, acetaminophen and ibuprofen may be administered according to manufacturer’s suggested dosage. Your child should not come to school on narcotic medication for pain management as these medications may cause dizziness, light-headedness and sedation which make it difficult for your child to function safely and effectively in school.

    Administration of specific nonprescription medications is available to all students under the guidelines of the district’s Medical Director. These medications include cough drops, throat spray, antacid tablets, and Neosporin ointment.

    All controlled medications must be hand-delivered to the school nurse or the principal’s designee by a parent or guardian at which time it will be counted and signed for. Some examples of controlled medications include, but are not limited to: Ritalin, Concerta, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Ativan.
     
     
     

    PAIN MANAGEMENT IN THE SCHOOL SETTING

     
    Often times, students will require pain management when returning to school after dental surgery, orthopedic injuries or other surgeries. Students should be able to manage their pain with acetaminophen or ibuprofen as prescribed by their physician before returning to school. With parent permission on the census verification report both of these medications may be administered according to manufacturers suggested dosage by the school nurse. A physician’s order is required for a dosage that differs from the manufacturer’s suggestion.

    For your child’s safety, he/she should not be returning to school on narcotic medication for pain management. Narcotics including but not limited to Percocet, Percodan, Oxycodone, Codeine and Vicodan are used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. These medications may cause dizziness, light-headedness and sedation which make it difficult for your child to function safely and effectively in school. Driving and operating machinery is also not recommended because these medications cause drowsiness which makes it difficult to attend to the task at hand. Students have impaired concentration and attention to school work while under the influence of narcotic medications.

    Most students recover from surgery and or orthopedic injuries within a few days. You can begin to wean your child off the narcotics and use over the counter medications as prescribed by your physician for pain management. If your child has breakthrough pain or an increase in pain, this may be an indication that your child is not recovering according to expectations and should be reported to your child’s physician for further assessment.

    If there are extenuating medical circumstances where you believe it may be appropriate for your child to be attending school while taking narcotics, please contact the Certified School Nurse in your building. In addition, it is in your child's best interest that you specifically discuss school attendance while on the narcotic medication with the prescribing physician.