Antibiotics to be taken during school time

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

Is it unreasonable to me to expect a school to remind my 9 year old son to go to the office to take his anti-biotics? For two days the school gave him his meds 3 hours and then 2 hours later.

What really pissed me off is that they have told me that DS "forgot" to take his medication. Surely the school office should have called for him? He is 9, FFS.

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

unreasonable OF me...

[3littlefrogs]

I agree with you, but these days it seems that while they will inspect every single lunch box, dictate what children can and can't eat, they won't help with reminding about important things like antibiotics.

I am so glad my DC are grown up now.

[phantomnamechanger]

YABU - they are not even obliged to administer any medication so think yourself lucky you are not traipsing back and forth to do it yourself. You have NO IDEA what the staff may have been dealing with that took priority.

[DinoSnores]

Does he need to take them at school? If he is on four times a day doses,it might be easier for him to take them before school, straight after school, bedtime, then your bedtime.

[Fairenuff]

Lots of school won't administer antibiotics. The staff have 101 things to remember every day and all sorts of unexpected disruptions to their day. Your ds has one thing to remember and 9 is old enough to tell the time surely?

What time does he take it. Usually it's one in the morning before school, one just before lunch, one when they get home and one before bed. Remind him that he should not eat his lunch until he has had it, that will jog his memory.

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

Yes, point taken. I know that they are not under any obligation to give the anti-biotics.

I suppose I am annoyed that they said he forgot rather than saying that they forgot to remind him. But I understand that there may be other matters that they'd be dealing with and that they are giving the meds as a favour.

IABU, it would seem :)

[BudsBeginingSpringinSight]

This is the strange conumdrum, they want us to send sick children in but dont want to adminsiter anti b's. I think if they want to stick to all these strict rules re holidays and so on they need to up their own game.

[Retropear]

Blimey what a poor attitude.Never come across it.

Kids can't help being ill,parents often work,kids need to take medicine which help to cut absence.

At ours you fill in a form and a TA goes round every class just before lunch time giving it out.Seems to work well.

[phantomnamechanger]

It's up to him to remember. When he's taken them late, how has this happened? eg if he is supposed to go take it before lunch, then at afternoon register the teacher says "did you take your medicine X?" and he says I forgot, then he's sent to have it late, the school ARE reminding him.

Did you actually go in and ASK the class teacher/TA to remind him each time - even then, with staff non contact time or class swapping/supply staff etc, there is a chance of the message not getting passed on.

I do think 9 is old enough to remembers this - DD in Yr1 had to have medicine every day for 6 months before lunch, and didn't forget once!

[3littlefrogs]

I agree buds,
It is really important to take antibiotics correctly.
If the alternative is to keep the child at home in order to do this, how would the school respond to that?
It is only one dose in the school day.
I don't think a schedule of breakfast, home time, child's bed time and parent's bedtime is ideal really because the last 3 doses are too close and the first 2 are too far apart. Does one wake the child up at 11pm?
Antibiotic resistance is a huge public health problem and taking antibiotics correctly is one thing that would help.
My sons would have been hopeless at remembering to take medicine during the school day.

op - would he be allowed a mobile with an alarm? Or would the school consider you ringing them?

[TheScience]

Tbf they did remind him, just late. Can you remind your DS every morning that he needs to go to the office at lunch/break and get his medicine? I think 9 is probably old enough to take a bit of responsibility. How about a watch with an alarm for him?

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

You have to take ABs exactly spaced out? I never know that.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

*knew

[phantomnamechanger]

can you IMAGINE the uproar, not to mention possible physical consequences, if the wrong child was given medicine? a kid with a similar name, or the sibling of the intended child? Or the wrong dose?Mistakes should not happen but they do (even in hospitals) so is it any wonder teachers do not want this extra responsibility.

[3littlefrogs]

Yes. You need to have a reasonable constant level in the bloodstream.

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

This is the school's policy on taking Medication:
"Most pupils will at some time have a condition requiring medication. For many the condition will be short-term – perhaps the duration of a short absence from school.
However, although a child may soon be well enough to be back at school, medication may perhaps still be required during the school day for a short period. In such cases parents will be expected to give permission for a member of staff to administer the medication (after first reporting to the office). Where on the other hand children have long-term medical needs, we will do everything we can to enable them to attend school regularly. (See First Aid and Medication Policy)"

What about that?

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

I tried to find the First Aid and Medication Policy, but it is not on the website.

[DinoSnores]

"You have to take ABs exactly spaced out? I never know that."

You really don't need to. Roughly spaced out is fine. (I'm a doctor.)

[kiwiscantfly]

At the school I taught at the ABs went to the office and the office lady in charge of first aid would come and fetch the child. There is no way as a teacher I would be able to remember that sorry, and if I did it would definitely be at odd intervals. Can the class TA help?

[SauvignonBlanche]

I remember DS being on antibiotics and DH had to go into school every lunchtime to give them to him.

[MidniteScribbler]

By that age I would be expecting to find ways for the child to begin to take some responsibility for his own care. Can you set an alarm on his watch to beep at the time he needs to take it? Or a reminder in the top of his lunchbox if he has one so that when he opens it he is reminded? A sticky note that he sticks on the front of one of his books or the corner of his desk with the time he needs to take it?

[Retropear]

It doesn't work like that Midnight settings have the responsibility hence the paperwork including last dosage signed by the parent.

Our school don't make a fuss,they're very much in control.Every morning I've dropped off medicine there have been loads of bottles already there which are popped in an out of access fridge and taken round mid day.Far easier than waiting for kids(who will forget) to drop in by,needing to be accompanied to the fridge in dribs and drabs.

[CrohnicallyFarting]

Our school won't administer medication unless for a long term condition. Something like antibiotics, the parent or responsible adult has to come in at the appropriate time to administer, basically because we don't want the responsibility when things like this happen.

I agree with something like a note in the lunchbox, reminding your DS to go to the office- I presume that is what midnite was saying, not that your DS would have the medicine! You don't know what has happened that made the teachers/staff forget. Over the last few days first aiders have dealt with poo accidents, diabetic hypos, epileptic seizures and various bumps, bruises and illnesses, not to mention the autistic meltdowns, forgotten clothes and bereaved children that don't necessarily need a first aider, but the teacher is already tied up with something else.

[CrohnicallyFarting]

At least the school did remember the medicine, better a late dose than a missed one, surely?

[MidniteScribbler]

It doesn't work like that Midnight settings have the responsibility hence the paperwork including last dosage signed by the parent.

Yes the school is responsible for the administration/dosage, but the child is still responsible for going to the office to actually get it. That's what I was suggesting with the alarm/reminder etc. Presumably the child goes at a set time (before eating lunch, etc), so should be of an age to start taking some responsibility for getting to the office, not for the actual administration/dosage/storage of the medication. Sorry if that was not clear in my post.