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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

School refusing to give antibiotics

539 replies

Slayerofmyth · 21/04/2021 18:14

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.

OP posts:
drnope · 21/04/2021 20:15

Actually, just seen Lavender's post--on second thoughts ignore my suggestion! Have reported my post for deletion

CutieBear · 21/04/2021 20:16

Could you ask the pharmacist if it’s possible to have a higher dose with less pills? She could have an early breakfast (with you), as soon as you see her after work and then before bed. I know this is only 3 out of 4, but better than nothing.

millymoo1202 · 21/04/2021 20:18

That is ridiculous! My school makes you sign a form saying it’s ok to give and at 10 she can easily be given the spoon and administer it herself

Walkaround · 21/04/2021 20:18

It sounds like the OP’s request is complicated by the fact she wants the school to administer one dose and the after school club to administer another dose, as she does not collect her dd from school until after she has finished work at 5.30pm. It feels a bit of a pisstake tbh to expect two doses to be given and to treat school and after-school club as one and the same thing. There will not be the same staff available after school hours for a start, and some parts of the school may not be accessible to after school staff, even if it is a school-run after school club and not an external provider. For the school to refuse to give one dose of prescription medicine during the normal school day to treat a medical condition, however, doesn’t seem right and I would be pushing to see the school’s medicines policy. The OP should speak to her GP and explain the issue with 2 doses needing to be given, to see if the timing can be tweaked.

CutieBear · 21/04/2021 20:19

@Maggiesfarm

Keep her off. You won't be fined, you have a good reason.

The only other thing you could do is double dose her in the morning and give her the other two doses in the evening.

So you’re advising a mum to keep her Year 6 DD home for 2 weeks just because she’s on antibiotics? Ridiculous idea, especially as they have already missed out on 2 weeks of education. OP could easily give DD a dose at breakfast (before she goes to work), when she sees DD after work, and then before bed.
MorganKitten · 21/04/2021 20:21

The school I work at don’t administer medication unless it’s inhalers etc, parents arrange to come in and give the child medication or change the time given. It’s not the school’s responsibility to administer the medication.

playeddepaler · 21/04/2021 20:21

If you can't send her into school with it OP then I would do it through the night. Set your alarm and give it to her.

intheenddoesitreallymatter · 21/04/2021 20:21

Can you set an alarm for 5 am?

Give her her first then when she’s half asleep, give her her second as you’re dropping her off, give her her third at pick up and give her her fourth at bedtime?

It would be a tiring few days but perhaps a better idea than a week off work?

Warmduscher · 21/04/2021 20:22

@ThePawtriarchy

The school staff listing out how hard it is to give the medications with each individual step are not making themselves look more reasonable. I’m sure it’s a faff, but it’s life, and the right thing to do.
I don’t think school office staff would be that bothered about people thinking they’re unreasonable not to take time out from their role to administer medication to any child that needs it.

As several PP have said, schools are under no obligation to administer medication. A GP who has prescribed medication which needs two doses to be given at school clearly expects school staff to make themselves available to do this. A good GP would check if the patient’s school could offer this service and if not, would find another solution.

shouldistop · 21/04/2021 20:22

I'd give a dose at 7am, 6pm, 10pm & 3am.

I know it says an hour before food but I'm not sure that matters that much.

CutieBear · 21/04/2021 20:22

@Slayerofmyth

It has to be an hour before food. Each school seems to have their own policy. I really can't afford to take time off work, my boss will not be happy, we're a very small pharmacy team. I am very mad and upset...I feel they are being deliberately difficult.
NHS website states this: “Take flucloxacillin on an empty stomach. This means 30 to 60 minutes before a meal or snack, or at least 2 hours after.”

She just has to take it on an empty stomach.

Iusedtoliveinsanfrancisco · 21/04/2021 20:23

Schools have first aides and can give out such medicine. Ps when this is sorted I would ask the school to provide some kind of screen/ separate space for changing. Yr daughter won’t be the only one if she’s stressed by this.

eatsleepread · 21/04/2021 20:23

That seems like a really difficult and unfair situation for you, OP Thanks
And I say that as someone who works at a school.

newnortherner111 · 21/04/2021 20:24

I wonder if the school introduced the policy after an unreasonable request from a parent, or being threatened with legal action.

RosesAndHellebores · 21/04/2021 20:24

Could another parent do it for you? I would have done when mine were small and I didn't work.

Is there a half way house with your employer where for a week you leave at 2.30 to collect her and give the medicine?

Warmduscher · 21/04/2021 20:25

@eatsleepread

That seems like a really difficult and unfair situation for you, OP Thanks And I say that as someone who works at a school.
I completely agree.

I’m surprised the GP didn’t think through the practicalities when he/she issued the prescription.

shouldistop · 21/04/2021 20:26

I’m surprised the GP didn’t think through the practicalities when he/she issued the prescription

Seriously?

EvilEdna1 · 21/04/2021 20:27

I work in a school office and don't agree with your school's policy but we are asked to medicate too many children for spurious reasons and it definitely does increase the already big workload e.g giving Calpol at lunchtime for a sore foot, just in case it is hurting. Anyway not relevant to you but I wanted to say you must not give medication hidden in foodstuffs to your child as someone suggested or get your child to put it in her bag and self administer. This is very dangerous to other children and if the school find out will be taken as a safeguarding issue and you will get a lecture. I would ask the school to justify using the DoE policy already linked to. They cannot force a member of staff to administer medicine unless it's part of their job description though. You could suggest if office staff and after school staff unwilling, a member of SLT could do it.

Whinge · 21/04/2021 20:27

I don’t think school office staff would be that bothered about people thinking they’re unreasonable not to take time out from their role to administer medication to any child that needs it.

I work in a school. There's already a long list of reasons why parents hate school staff, at this point being unreasonable for not administering medication wouldn't even raise an eyebrow. Grin

I agree with several other posters about contatcting the pharmacist regarding doses, or giving the doses over night.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 21/04/2021 20:27

@ThePawtriarchy

The school staff listing out how hard it is to give the medications with each individual step are not making themselves look more reasonable. I’m sure it’s a faff, but it’s life, and the right thing to do.
It's unworkable, not a faff.

In any case, whilst I'm running around site searching for children, I'm not at my desk for the kid who is coming because her monitor has gone off signalling a hypo, the one whose left kneecap is currently located at the side of his leg instead of the middle after hoofing a football across the field, the kid (or member of staff) who has just collapsed in PE with atrial fibrillation and needs me to sprint across with the defib or the one who has just eaten half of a friend's cookie and now needs 10 puffs of salbutamol through a spacer (which they've forgotten), antihistamines, two EpiPens and an ambulance.

By the way, @PhillipPhillop, that is exactly why I said the app appeared to pose more difficulties than convenience when I was asked if I wanted them to sign a contract for it. In the time it appeared to take to operate it (never mind the initial set up and populating with information), I can deal with multiple kids whilst still ensuring the bubbles are maintained for everybody except me at any rate

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 21/04/2021 20:28

We do give antibiotics at the school I work at but every so often my head teacher tries to crack down.

Can you call the drs, explain the situation and ask for a different medication

Warmduscher · 21/04/2021 20:30

@shouldistop

I’m surprised the GP didn’t think through the practicalities when he/she issued the prescription

Seriously?

Yes, seriously.
Slayerofmyth · 21/04/2021 20:30

My DD starts breakfast club at 8.00, so has her first dose at 7.00 am. I work in pharmacy, so I know the importance of following the Drs instructions, they have to be kept in a fridge and taken at regular intervals. To the person who said I'm being difficult...😏 No, I'm not. Even if she gets tablets, she still will not be allowed to take them in school, in case another child accidentally takes them......I'm not waking her up in the middle of the might, that's just not going to happen. I will contact GP tomorrow, I will contact LEA welfare officer and also the school governors. I don't think this is fair policy, particularly for lone parents like me who work and have no one to help.

OP posts:
wanderbug · 21/04/2021 20:30

Drop everything at 11am, go and find the child, bring them back to the office, give them them medication, wash the spoon (if the parent has actually supplied one), fill in the medication log, return them to class, find out they're doing PE, so need to go somewhere else, hope that nobody has had an asthma attack, broken a wrist, hit their head, cut themselves, phoned, rung the intercom or needed urgent attention in another way, then do the same for the second dose, then hunt down the child and parent in the playground at hometime (or stay behind for the afterschool club) to hand over the must be refrigerated medication find out they've gone home without it, repeat the next day, then find out it's been forgotten and is festering in a bag or has spilled everywhere, etc, etc. Then repeat it for anything up to 20 other kids, all on slightly different schedules (or exactly the same, meaning they need to be fetching kids all over the site at once).

This is exactly what it's like in our school. The only other extra bit I would add is that we also have to find a second adult who is willing and available to be the witness when the medication is given. It's part of our policy, so that we've got someone to double-check that the correct dose has been given and to cover our backs if we're later accused of doing something wrong.

Our school will administer antibiotics if 4 doses are needed but after witnessing the fuss that some parents make about even the most minor of things, it's a miracle that any member of staff volunteers to take on that role.

Whereisthewarmth · 21/04/2021 20:30

Since when is it cheeky to simply try and get medicine into a child!

Our school sends out ultra curt memos on sending dc in and calpol.. I'm not sure if they give calpol?

But strict about sending dc in with mild illness.. So I was really surprised when I thought they wouid give my dd antibiotics... I just assumed they wouid because they are strict about dc attending but no.. Again curt messages about not giving it!

It's like trying to navigate secret laser beamz.