Rationale:
The
policy as outlined was put in place to;
- Clarify areas of responsibility
- To give clear guidance about situations where it is not appropriate
to administer medicines
- To indicate the limitations to any requirements which may be notified
to teachers and school staff
- To outline procedures to deal with a pupil with a nut allergy in
our school
- Safeguard
school staff that are willing to administer medication
- Protect
against possible litigation.
Relationship to
School Ethos:
The school promotes
positive home-school contacts, not only in relation to the welfare of children,
but in relation to all aspects of school life.
This policy is in keeping with the school ethos through the provision of
a safe, secure and caring school environment and the furthering of positive
home-school links.
Aims of this Policy:
The
aims and objectives of the policy can be summarised as follows;
- Minimise health risks to children and
staff on the school premises
- Fulfill the duty of the BoM in relation
to Health and Safety requirements
- 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
In –School Procedures:
Parents are required
to complete a Health/Medication form when enrolling their child/ren in the
school. No teacher is obliged to
administer medicine or drugs to a pupil and any teacher willing to do so works
under the controlled guidelines outlined below.
- Prescribed medicines will only be
administered after parents of the pupil concerned have written to the BoM
requesting the Board to authorise a member of the teaching staff to do
so. Under no circumstance will
non-prescribed medicines be either stored or administered in the
school. The Board will seek
indemnity from parents in respect of any liability arising from the
administration of medicines
- The school generally advocates the self
administration (e.g. inhalers) of medicine under the supervision of a
responsible adult, exercising the standard of care of a prudent
parent. No medicines are stored on
the school premises. A small
quantity of prescription drugs will be stored in the Administration Office
if a child requires self-administering on a daily basis and parents have
requested storage facilities.
Parents are responsible for the provision of medication and
notification of change of dosage
- 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
- The Board of Management requests parents to ensure that teachers be
made aware in writing of any medical condition suffered by any child in
their class
- This does not imply a duty upon teachers personally to undertake
the administration of medicines or drugs.
Long Term Health Problems
Where there are children with long-term health
problems in school, proper and clearly understood arrangements for the administration
of medicines must be made with the Board of Management. This is the
responsibility of the parents/guardians. It would include measures such as self
administration, administration under parental supervision or administration by
school staff.
Life Threatening Condition
Where children are suffering from life threatening
conditions, parents/guardians must clearly outline, in writing, what should be
done in a particular emergency situation, with particular reference to what may
be a risk to the child (Appendix 3). If emergency medication is necessary,
arrangements must be made with the Board of Management. A letter of indemnity
must be signed by the parents in respect of any liability that may arise
regarding the administration of medication.
Guidelines for the Administration of Medicines
- The
parents of the pupil with special medical needs must inform the Board of
Management in writing of the condition, giving all the necessary details
of the condition. The request must also contain written instruction of the
procedure to be followed in administering the medication. (Appendix 1, 2
or 3)
- Parents
must write requesting the Board of Management to authorise the administration
of the medication in school
- Where
specific authorisation has been given by the Board of Management for the
administration of medicine, the medicines must be brought to school by the
parent/guardian/designated adult
- A
written record of the date and time of administration must be kept by the person
administering it (Appendix 4)
- Parents/Guardians
are responsible for ensuring that emergency medication is supplied to the
school and replenished when necessary
- Emergency
medication must have exact details of how it is to be administered
- The
BoM must inform the school’s insurers accordingly
- Parents
are further required to indemnify the Board of Management and members of
the staff in respect of any liability that may arise regarding the
administration of prescribed medicines in school
- All
correspondence related to the above are kept in the school.
Medicines
- Non-prescribed medicines will neither be stored nor administered to
pupils in school
- Teachers/SNAs in the school will only administer prescribed
medication when arrangements have been put in place as outlined above
- Arrangements for the storage of certain emergency medicines, which
must be readily accessible at all times, must be made with the Principal
- A teacher/SNA must not administer any medication without the
specific authorisation of the Board of Management
- The prescribed medicine must be self-administered if possible,
under the supervision of an authorised Teacher/SNA if not the parent
- No teacher/SNA can be required to administer medicine or drugs to a
pupil
- In an emergency situation, qualified medical assistance will be
secured at the earliest opportunity and the parents contacted
- It is not recommended that children keep medication in bags, coats,
etc.
- Where possible, the parents should arrange for the administration
of prescribed medicines outside of school hours.
In the event of a child enrolling with a nut allergy the following
guidelines would be put in place
- Staff dealing with the pupil do not eat nuts of any item with nut
trace
- Advise children not to offer or exchange foods, sweets, lunches
etc.
- If going off-site, medication must be carried.
In the event the pupil comes in contact with peanuts
- Administer 5ml Zirtec/Sudafed or other antihistamine immediately.
It is important that the pupil be kept calm to allow him to breathe calmly
as he will experience discomfort and sensation of his/her throat swelling.
If possible (s)he needs to drink as much water as possible. These steps
should allow him/her to recover fully.
- Only in the event of anaphylactic shock should the pen be
administered.
In the case of a
child being admitted a secure place for the pen would be organised in the
school. Before or immediately after Pen being administered, an ambulance must
be called.
Indicators of shock include
Symptoms of shock can include, wheezing, severe
difficulty breathing and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain,
cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Emergencies:
In the event of an
emergency, teachers should do no more than is 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.
Where no qualified
medical treatment is available, and circumstances warrant immediate medical
attention, designated staff members may take a child into Accident and Emergency
without delay. Parents will be contacted
simultaneously.
In addition, parents
must ensure that teachers are made aware in writing of any medical condition
which their child is suffering from. For
example children who are epileptics, diabetics etc. may have a seizure at any
time and teachers must be made aware of symptoms in order to ensure that
treatment may be given by appropriate persons.
Written details are
required from the parents/guardians outlining the child’s personal details,
name of medication, prescribed dosage, whether the child is capable of
self-administration and the circumstances under which the medication is to be
given. Parents should also outline
clearly proper procedures for children who require medication for life
threatening conditions.
The
school maintains an up to date register of contact details of all
parents/guardians including emergency numbers.
This is updated in September of each new school year.
First Aid Boxes:
A full medical kit is
taken when children are engaged in out of school activities such as tours,
football/hurling games and athletic activities.
A first aid box is
kept in the staffroom containing anti-septic wipes, anti-septic
bandages, sprays, steri-strips, cotton wool, scissors etc. [note: the
classroom-based kit should be kept under lock and key for health & safety
reasons]
General
Recommendations:
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 peers should
not be in school.
Roles and
Responsibilities:
The BoM has overall
responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of the school policy on
Administration of Medication. The
Principal is the day to day manager of routines contained in the policy with
the assistance of all staff members. The
Assistant Principal is the Safety Officer and the maintenance and replenishment
of First Aid Boxes is a post of responsibility within the middle management
structure in the school.
Success Criteria:
The effectiveness of
the school policy in its present form is measured by the following criteria;
- Compliance with Health and Safety
legislation
- Maintaining a safe and caring
environment for children
- Positive feedback from parents/teachers
- Ensuring the primary responsibility for
administering remains with parents/guardians
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