Right, so what are we supposed to do when our children have medicine that needs to be taken during school hours?

[WideWebWitch]

Ds had an ear infection on Monday. Dr gave him anti biotics, to be taken 3 times a day. Ex dh came from London and looked after him on Monday. I took Tuesday off and had him at home. On Wednesday he was a lot better so I sent him to school.

HOWEVER, he is supposed to take anti biotics 3 x a day. He goes to breakfast club at 7.30am and is collected at 5.30pm, 4 days a week. On Fridays he doesn't go until 8.50am and ex dh or I collect at 3.30pm

Anyway, the school won't administer medecine, even if it's labelled etc. They suggested:

1. I give it first thing at 8.50am and at 3.30on and at bedtime. Not possible because of timings above
   
   
2. I get stronger anti biotics that need to be taken twice a day. Can't do as already have them and anyway, seems a mad idea
   
   
3. I keep him off, although he is fine, so I PERSONALLY can give him the lunchtime dose. Mad, he's fine, I work.
   
   So, my solution has been to send the dose in in his lunchox in a small bottle and tell him to take it. He was told off for this today.
   
   Solutions? Similar experience? What would you do? What is the answer for future? (I forgot to give them to him today as admitted to on other thread btw but anyway)
   
   TIA for any views.

[mm22bys]

Sorry, forgot we are on AIBU, maybe you could try the Health board?

[mm22bys]

This is dreadful, what about those children who need medicine to survive (like insulin for diabetics for instance).

There are several parents on this board who have children with conditions which require medication during the day - I know this is only a temporary administration of antibiotics, but I am sure your DC would not be the first child at the school who requires medication.

Does the school have a nurse?

I would be taking this to the LEA...

[WideWebWitch]

Oh, interesting!

I gave him his dose mixed with water in an old food colouring bottle and yes, he can be trusted to take it so this is what he did on Weds. He is nearly 10 and was in pain with the ear on Monday so highly motivated to take the medicine to make it better!

The school said they won't give any medicine to any child at all, even if I sign a form etc.

Problem has prob gone away as he should finish the course this weekend but still, it seems a bit mad that their suggestion is that one healthy adult AND child stay at home because of anti biotic timings!

[tissy]

but, of course I can't prove that without giving away my identity, and even if i did that you only have my word that i am who I say I am...

[hana]

is nasty infection on toe, and it has completely cleared up having taken the antibiotics twice daily for a week
maybe just lucky for dd
but like you said, better than nothing

[tissy]

yes

[tissy]

(but I think my idea of sneaking it into his juice/ yoghurt was rather good, as long as he drinks/ eats it all!)

[hana]

mmmm
well I checked with the gp after the chemist told me this

are you a doctor?

[tissy]

hana, chemist is WRONG, sorry.

It may be better than not giving the antibiotic at all, but antibiotics should be given at the intervals stated on the bottle.

The antibiotic is broken down by the body at a constant rate. If the blood level gets too low, then the antibiotic is ineffective, and the bugs multiply. The timing of doses is carefully calculated to make sure that the levels don't dip too low.

WWW, if you really can't get the antibiotic into him at regular intervals, then go back to the GP and ask if there is an antibiotic that would do the same job, given twice daily. There might be.

[nell12]

At my school we have one of the first aiders who can give medicine. She is the only one who gives it out and has a fridge in her office to store it. It can only be given out with prior consent of parents and is logged carefully.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS: I go into anaphylactic (sp?) shock with penicillin so I cannot even have it in the classroom.

I really would not trust any child capable to pour out the correct dose and self-administer.

[seb1]

DDs school will administer if you fill in and sign a form.

[hana]

just change the amounts you give, you can do this with regular penicillin, I've recently done it for dd - I asked the chemist and he said fine

she needed it 4 times a day
but
she gets 2 lots at breakfast
and 2 lots at tea time

there are ways around these things
just speak to the gp who prescribed the medicine, or the chemist - most times they would be fine

[putitdown]

Do they not have afirst aider, school secretary etc. What do they do for very allergic children who need epipens or asthamtics who need inhalers. Surely somebody can give medicine

[WigWamBam]

Technically, dd's school can't give medication either (but they won't allow the children to self-administer because a "responsible person" has to do it).

In practice, though, a TA will do it if you fill in a form, sign to say that you don't mind if the doses aren't given exactly on time, and promise not to sue if the TA forgets. Is there any chance at all that if you push them, they would do that?

Or if they don't like him taking it at lunchtime, when he's under their supervision, could he take it at 3.30 before he goes to his after-school club? Maybe sneak to the toilets or something and take it in there?

[roisin]

Something on this has changed recently WWW. I think our LEA has advised schools not to administer medicines at all.

Our HT has decided to personally administer prescribed medicine to children at lunchtimes if necessary, and take responsibility for this. But no other staff in school can do so.

[tissy]

you CANNOT keep your child off school incase another child reacts to the medicine! This hypothetical other child should be nowhere near the medicine, and if there was a child with an allergy that bad, would the teachers agree to administer the epipen? If so, why can't they give a spoonful of antibiotic?

At dd's school there is a designated person- not a nurse, I think, but medicine is delivered to her and she doses all children that require it!

[Gig]

Are the teachers not allowed to administer medicine with your permission in writing? Is this overall law, or just this school? Some schools certainly used to allow children to take labeled medicines in and take them at lunch time. It might be worth writing to your chair of governers to clarify.

[tissy]

he was told off because you gave him his medicine to take?

Poor little mite!

School need educating about antibiotics, you ahve to give the right one, not the one that is convenient for the teachers...it doesn't follow that a stronger antibiotic would last longer- they are metabolised in the same way, so double the dose wouldn't last twice as long.

How about mix his lunchtime dose in with his juice or a tupperware pot of yoghurt?

[GrowlingTiger]

Depends if the medicine is penicillen based, where children could have a severe reaction.

I would have asked a friendly mum to does at 8:50 and 3:30 if the school refused (mine doesn't).

[blondehelen]

What I have done in the past which worked, but depends on the sleeping habits of your ds. Give dose in the morning, dose when he gets in then dose late when you go to bed. But depends if your ds will agree to being woken up and then settle again.

[moo]

It's one of those diemmas for which there isn't a solution (she says helpfully). The teachers aren't allowed to give him medicine - yet it's ridiculous to keep him off when he's well enough to go.

Did you clear it with the teachers first to send him in with his medicine to take himself? Because that seems, to me anyway, to be the most sensible solution - though perhaps they are thinking that some other child could potentially have got hold of it, hence the telling off.

Er...OK...dunno...pass. Next question ?

[LittleOldLady]

The school should have a designated person who can do this surely?