Paracetamol at secondary school

[LemonChiffon]

Do you think it's ok for students at secondary school to have a pack of paracetamol in their bags, and take some if needed? My daughter has been taking some into school to manage period pain. She's very sensible and good at taking pills. But do you think this is allowed? They sometimes search their bags apparently. I tried to look through the schools policies but I couldn't find anything specifically about this. I could ask them of course!

Yes I think its fine gone are the days of the school nurse and first aiders cant give you it so bring your own just be sensible

It’s unlikely a school would permit this. One being in theory if it drops out of her bag a smaller child could be taking them.

But I would cut out the tablets she might need in a day and send her in with this in her jacket pocket or bag. I did this with my kids. I would not ask the school though as likely to say no go to med centre to ask for tablets there.

DS's school was stupidly strict about this, and students weren't allowed to carry any medication, even in the 6th form. But they made it very clear that was the rule.

School won’t like it, but I wouldn’t tell them. If she’s taking them sensibly tell them to take them on the quiet, it’s what DDs friends did.
We used to let students take pills if their parents had signed something but it changed to the parents had to come into administer it. The rules are very strict now about it.
we were even told you shouldn’t even give pills to another member of staff.

Put it in her pocket rather than bag?

Our had one dose paracetamol for a headache or period pain. For their own need taken in privacy. No school nurse on site.
No need to inform the school about.

Well, I certainly did at that age.

However I also took a substantial paracetamol overdose at 16.

Kids need to learn to self manage etc but teens' judgement can go off a cliff a bit while their brains are remodelling - even "sensible" ones. I would let them have a couple at a time. But I appreciate my history will be affecting my judgement.

I send a few tablets in with mine (not a whole pack), along with their inhalers and anti-allergy medication, a few plasters too.
They are expected to have their inhalers with them at the very least. I didn’t ask about the rest tbh. If there is a problem the school will contact me I’m sure.
This is second level in Ireland so from about age 12/13.

Don't ask, don't alert the school she has them but yes of course, my DD and her friends carry pain relief for period pain, the fast acting ibuprofen can be the difference between being able to carry on at school and needing to be collected.

I don’t think my school has any rules about it, girls will often have paracetamol in their bags.

Don’t send a whole packet though, just a couple.

I'd put it ina small pouch with the period products personally. And make sure shelnows not to lend any to friends or accept any from friends.

I always had painkillers on me throughout secondary for my periods - never occurred to me to ask permission or check it was okay

Schools usually have a tablets policy to cover items such as paracetamol. The reason is that another child, who isn't so sensible, may go through their bag and get hold of them/take them. Or something may happen to your child (eg. a sports field injury or similar) and a medical professional may administer painkillers, not knowing your child has already taken their own medication earlier, resulting in an overdose.

Therefore I wouldn't discuss this with the school at all, and talk to your daughter very carefully about the risks.

If she is sensible and really needs the tablets, I would very carefully wrap a couple of tablets for one day's dose (or use a little screw top tablet container) which she can keep in a zipped pocket or similar, so that they can't possibly go amiss.

Yep my daughter suffers from abdominal migraines and at primary school used to have a bottle of Calpol in the school office. The times she would go and they would not give her the medicine ( “ have a drink of water and see how you feel”) and she would end up throwing up. Now at secondary school she keeps a couple of tablets in her blazer. I’ve primed her not to make a fuss about taking them but to get on with it. She knows her body and how much pain she’s in better than any adult in that school. She still comes and discusses it at home though so we can manage what she takes.

Definitely make sure sure they ate in original packaging, even if its just a cut down blister pack.

Just make sure she doesn’t share them with anyone.

Our schools paracetamol policy is that the school will give a dose if the parents have signed a form which is kept in the school office. If you signed the form you are then asked to send in a small pack of paracetamol with child's name on, also kept in school office. (Presume they decided school budget did not stretch to providing it, though I was happy to do this as my daughter has a terrible gag reflex and is much better with the soluble sort.)

I've just had a look at the policy and it doesn't mention whether or not the student is also permitted to carry their own. I presume it's implied they should not, though it really ought to be clearer.

I think once daughter starts her periods I will add a couple of paracetamol (in packaging) discreetly to her period pack in its own little zip up bag. She's quite shy and I can imagine her suffering the pain rather than going to the school office to ask.

It never crossed my mind to consider how school would regard this. One of mine always carried paracetamol at high school age.

My dd would get terrible migraines and her school had a policy where her paracetamol was kept in the office and if she felt a migraine coming on she could go and take a dose. They knew she was able to decide for herself when she needed it (I did have to sign a form to agree) and this seemed to work very well. I would discuss with the school as others have pointed out there are some issues with just being able to carry their own and teachers not knowing what they are taking and when.

There probably is a policy at our school, but I don't know what it is, DD just has 2 in her bag to quietly take if necessary.

We kept with period products in a small zippy fabric bag - just two doses - and she often kept that in her pocket to avoid digging around for it in a bag etc. No bag searches at her school but we are small town - altho was a big school

Interestingly our school has a "prohibited items" policy and over the counter medication is not on it, only illegal drugs. Yet we are told that children are not allowed to have paracetamol and must go to the medical room if they require pain relief, which can be given as long as parents have signed to agree.

You may which to check if your school has a similar policy?

I’d just send it in in her bag. When I was at secondary school I don’t think I even discussed it with my mum, it didn’t occur to me. I just had some paracetamol with me.

The point a PP made about someone administering medication to her if something happens, and they don’t know she’s already had some sounds a bit far fetched tbh. That would apply to a child who’d taken it before going to school, or any adult at any point in their lives. Is this routinely causing damage where someone is unable to communicate with medical professional so they accidentally give them too much paracetamol?

I used to give my DCs paracetamol just in case. They used them only very occasionally.

I used to cut 3 or 4 tablets off the blister pack and they kept it in their blazer pocket.

You can usually buy paracetamol at age 16.

Ds has some in his bag if he needs it, we haven't mentioned it to school