School refusing to give antibiotics

[Slayerofmyth]

My daughter has warts on her arm that have become infected. She has been prescribed antibiotics four times a day in liquid form that have to be kept in fridge. She has one dose upon wakening but needs 2 more doses throughout school day. I work so can't get to school to give it, theres no one else. School are refusing to give it, I've said I'll keep her off then so I can administer ( taking time off work,), they say I'll get a fine for absence. What the heck am I supposed to do? Please advise.

Gosh, that would be a game changer! Would be interesting to know if/why not possible for humans too?

You'd need to ask a pharmaceutical company or perhaps a pharmacist about that. Perhaps the OP would better spend time researching at work

Two simple explanations:

1. Physiology is different. Not all pets can have the subcut injections you’re talking about either. Absorption from those injections varies a lot (e.g. if the area gets hot it can lead to increased dose released)
2. Safety margins are totally different. What’s acceptable for a pet in terms of side effects and effectiveness is not appropriate for a human. This is wide ranging from effects on tooth enamel to effect on fertility to risk of allergy (once that long acting injection is in there it’s too late to do much). Humans also live a lot longer so a small reduction in, for example, kidney function has a much larger effect. Also vets use a lot more antibiotics than human doctors, often on a precautionary basis so it’s difficult to compare effectiveness. The use you describe is also prophylactic rather than treatment.

Obviously we have some meds that can be given as long acting things like contraceptives, some mental health but they have very specific properties that allow that.

@BungleandGeorge thanks for that. I guessed there'd be some reasonable explanation that a mere ordinary mortal wouldn't have thought about.

However, it wasn't prophylactic. The abcess forming behind the wound was very real and hot and hard and weeping and the antibiotic was administered some three days after the actual incident. The examination on the day was simply to ascertain if he'd sustained any serious damage, which he hadn't, thankfully, and produced only advice to keep an eye on the wound for signs of infection. Hence why we took him back three days later.

"You sound incredibly petty: “I’m making an official complaint because the staff refused to ignore the school policy. She has a different medicine now, but I’m still complaining.”

The Gp has changed your DD’s prescription to something else now that is suitable for a school aged child. The previous medication only had to be taken on an empty stomach. I’m not sure why you thought she had to take it an hour before food?

I missed the part about getting changed in PE in front of the boys. I think post schools separate the boys and girls when they’re in Year 6."

Petty? No actually I'm not being petty. Getting another prescription took 2 days.....2 days where my DD was without medication for her infection. Plus I'm pressing you missed the part about them threatening me with a fine??? The school were unsupportive, the school eol not protect my child around her right to privacy, you can bet I'll be complaining.

@Slayerofmyth - is the boys and girls getting changed together a long-term thing, or the result of the school’s covid risk assessment requiring class bubbles to be kept apart from each other, which might have resulted in limited available space for children from the same class getting changed in different places? If the latter, you could politely suggest, eg, that on PE days, children come into school in their PE kit already, so as to avoid the issue of lack of changing rooms?

As for the medicines issue - if you want to be taken seriously, you firstly need to request a copy of the school’s complaints policy and to follow the correct procedure for that, as otherwise you will just get fobbed off again, and also to request a copy of the school’s medicines policy. Also, accept that your original expectation was in itself unreasonable, as the school would not have been acting in accordance with the prescription to follow the dosing regime you wanted them to, so you would likely have been required to go back to your GP regardless of how obstructive or helpful they were trying to be.

[quote Ifeelsuchafool]@BungleandGeorge thanks for that. I guessed there'd be some reasonable explanation that a mere ordinary mortal wouldn't have thought about.

However, it wasn't prophylactic. The abcess forming behind the wound was very real and hot and hard and weeping and the antibiotic was administered some three days after the actual incident. The examination on the day was simply to ascertain if he'd sustained any serious damage, which he hadn't, thankfully, and produced only advice to keep an eye on the wound for signs of infection. Hence why we took him back three days later. [/quote]
Sorry misunderstood I thought you meant they were just given because there was a bite. Which is also fine as bites are incredibly likely to get infected as there’s a lot of bacteria in the mouth! I don’t think there’s a large choice of antibiotics which can be given as a one off injection, we’ve always been given tablets for our dog. Certainly easier though!

The thing with this is everyone jumps to defend the admin staff or TAs citing that they may accidentally give the wrong medicine or dose.

I mean - seriously?

I'd be more concerned the support network of a school didn't have the intelligence to read a name and measure medicine than them making a mistake.

I'm sure most are parents themselves and have managed to give antibiotics to their own children many a time.

@itsgettingwierd

The thing with this is everyone jumps to defend the admin staff or TAs citing that they may accidentally give the wrong medicine or dose.

I mean - seriously?

I'd be more concerned the support network of a school didn't have the intelligence to read a name and measure medicine than them making a mistake.

I'm sure most are parents themselves and have managed to give antibiotics to their own children many a time.

I assume is more an issue of miscommunication(mostly this), stress, hectic day rather than stupidity or incompetence.

@itsgettingwierd

It isn’t about that!!! Ever!! It’s about policy!! In this scenario it isn’t in the policy to administer short term medication! The OP won’t have a leg to stand on with complaint if it’s in the policy. Imagine the school gives your DS or DD the wrong medication...not because they haven’t read it properly, but just happen to, or something goes
Wrong, like a reaction..what would your response be! I doubt you’d be happy! Schools have this in policies to protect them and their staff an not to be awkward!! If in years to come my DS has to have medication in school time I will find a way if it is in the school policy! Teachers schools work flippin hard without ridiculous complaints about not being able to give medication despite covering themselves with a policy!!! The PE bit is worthy of a review at least!!

@itsgettingwierd

The thing with this is everyone jumps to defend the admin staff or TAs citing that they may accidentally give the wrong medicine or dose.

I mean - seriously?

I'd be more concerned the support network of a school didn't have the intelligence to read a name and measure medicine than them making a mistake.

I'm sure most are parents themselves and have managed to give antibiotics to their own children many a time.

Don’t be ridiculous - of course school staff can read.

It’s the fact that society has become so litigious that no one working in a school wants to do anything - no matter how minuscule the risk of making a mistake - that could be contrasted by a parent as being negligent.

In the school where I worked there was a child in reception who was tube-fed. The Sendco plus staff from his class were all trained to manage this. The Sendco confided to me that she was having trouble sleeping from the worry that she or one of her colleagues would get something wrong and put the child at risk. And lose her job, of course.

It isn’t about that!!! Ever!! It’s about policy!! In this scenario it isn’t in the policy to administer short term medication! The OP won’t have a leg to stand on with complaint if it’s in the policy

School policies don't outweigh the law, which says they should be prepared to give medication when it's unavoidable.

School policies don't outweigh the law, which says they should be prepared to give medication when it's unavoidable.

Yes they do if no teacher is prepared to do it. What is so difficult to understand about that? If there is no member of staff prepared to medicate then it cannot be done. No matter how many times you stamp your feet, it won't happen.

The onus is on the parent in that case.

Plenty of posters on here have defended schools not giving meds and stating it's not fair on TAs and admin staff to have "that level of responsibility".

As someone who has worked in education in various roles for more than 2 decades I personally find it insulting.

It's not a level of responsibility beyond what we usually do if we have kids of our own. Yes there is policy and training to cover backs and he's there is 2 people do it to cover backs.

But honestly - 20+ years of administering medication in schools never once have I felt it's a huge responsibility to read bottle, confirm dose and draw up.

It's probably one of the easiest aspects of my specific role!

And it's utterly stupid to insist you can fine parents and allow schools to decide if they authorise an absence or not whilst simultaneously letting them to have the powers to refuse to do what is needed for the child to be able to attend.

I wouldn't take a job in a school with such a policy.

Why can't she just do it herself?

@Radio4Rocks

School policies don't outweigh the law, which says they should be prepared to give medication when it's unavoidable.

Yes they do if no teacher is prepared to do it. What is so difficult to understand about that? If there is no member of staff prepared to medicate then it cannot be done. No matter how many times you stamp your feet, it won't happen.

The onus is on the parent in that case.

School staff can't just pick and choose which parts of their job they will do. It's a condition of employment that you support the school in complying with its legal duties.

@Nith

It isn’t about that!!! Ever!! It’s about policy!! In this scenario it isn’t in the policy to administer short term medication! The OP won’t have a leg to stand on with complaint if it’s in the policy

School policies don't outweigh the law, which says they should be prepared to give medication when it's unavoidable.

But it isn’t unavoidable in this scenario! It’s unavoidable in a long term scenario..like inhalers or epi pens!

@Nith

You cannot make a voluntary action part of a condition of service.

Which party of voluntary don't you understand?

I would keep her off.

[quote Radio4Rocks]@Nith

You cannot make a voluntary action part of a condition of service.

Which party of voluntary don't you understand?[/quote]
Which part of contract don't you understand? It is a term of any employee's contract that they don't act in such a way as will put their employer in breach of the law.

If this school really has made it voluntary for some members of staff, then it needs to employ some staff for whom that is expressly one of their responsibilities.

It wouldn't ever be put in a contract because it is agreed that it is voluntary.

It is put in a contract if you interview for and accept a job that included first aid and administering medicines in the job description.

One just before drop off, one as soon as she is picked up, 9pm and 3am.

@LittleRen

One just before drop off, one as soon as she is picked up, 9pm and 3am.

Have you even read the OPs updates?

I can understand the schools position on not wanting to administer short term medicine. What I won't tolerate is being threatened with a fine, if the Dr had been unable to change her medication and I would have had to keep her off. How some schools can do it and some can't is beyond me, no wonder there's this level of confusion. My dds infection is still pretty bad.

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