To expect school to administer prescribed medication

[Heather1425]

My son is in Y4 at school, he has been prescribed antibiotic eye drops 4 times a day however the school have said they will not administer them and I have to come in but working full time 45 minutes away is impossible. Last year a similar incident happened where he was on oral antibiotics and because they were 3 times a day they said they don't give children them because they can have it once before school, once after and once before bed but when they go to out of school club until 6 then in bed at 7 this isnt exactly what a dr means by 3 times a day! Is it unreasable to expect a school to aid in keeping children well when they expect them to go in if they can?

There's still no legal obligation for schools not administer prescription medication, of course logic is applied and those who require long term meds or emergency meds will have plans in place no doubt but schools don't have to.

So, in the (majority of) schools where there is not the luxury of a nurse (!) or even, in many, TAs , is the class teacher meant to break into their maths lesson in order to go to the staffroom fridge to fetch the drops (who supervises in their absence?) and then administer them to a (quite possibly wriggly) child? Having sanitised sufficiently first?

So many posters only look at these things from the viewpoint of themselves and their child, not the bigger picture.

At my school we have general training for epilepsy, asthma and epipens and focused training if it's for a specific pupil. We cannot give any medication- even emollient cream without forms signed and a person to give it plus a witness to sign it. Unfortunately this is the way it is now. Frustrating I know!

At DS's school this is something the school nurse would do.

I was going to say this - the receptionist in DTs school does give medication but DD was given the wrong kid's antibiotics, and sent home with the wrong ones too and the other kids was given hers. Thankfully not serious and no harm done but could have been if the other kid was allergic to penicillin.

It's not a responsibility I'd want as a receptionist when potentially several kids could be on antibiotics.

At our primary we were told staff can't be compelled to administer medicines so basically don't expect it, and if they agree to do it, be very grateful!

We just used to lay child on their back with eye closed and put the drop on closed lids. When they opened their eye the drop went in. So much easier and kinder, and was recommended by GP.

I know it's different but my DC old nursery refused to do eye drops. With 2yos you need to be "firm" to get them in and a parent saw once and complained so they didnt do it for anyone again.

I can see why school don't want to do this. I assume there is nobody else near to school (grandparent etc.) who can help you out here? If not, I would do the following: 1dose early morning, 1 as soon as home, 1 right before bed (yes I realise these are quite close together), and then I would go in right before I go to bed at 11ish and gently half wake and pop some in then.

Possibly. The only students I have with serious medical issues are the ones I mentioned. I have 8 classes, as far as I'm aware, no other conditions that might need emergency intervention.

Seems ridiculous, sorry you are getting this OP

Would the child be able to administer them? My dd administers her own eye drops and has done since P4, but admittedly she does have them regularly. Have you tried the closed eye method mentioned above? Have you checked with the pharmacist how long they can be stored out the fridge for?

I don’t think schools have to administer acute medications like short term antibiotics etc.

Though I have students with ADHD but no teacher administers anything.
In fact, in half an hour I'm in the class with the student who could need the defib, one student with diabetes, 4 students with ADHD, and two with eating disorders so prone to fainting/vomiting.
In one class. I think I'd laugh if told to start putting eyedrops in as well.

That’s a genius idea!

I wouldn't expect them to remember or have the time to do it.

Ah no, the school. Parents medicate during the hours they have the child, if medication is required during school hours the school do it.

Pretty basic really.

That's s nightmare for you with work, doesn't sound like school are being very helpful. Could you do a couple of doses in their sleep? (dependa on how deeply they sleep though). Say one at your bedtime around 10/11. Them do a dose at 2 am (sorry would require setting an alarm). Might be manageable for a short course of drops?

I would not want a school administering eye drops.

It's really easy to touch they eye with the dropper and that can mean re infecting the eye.

4 times a day would ideally be every 6 hours.

Administer eye drops at drop off and again at pick up just before bed and then early morning.

Gotta love this attitude.

Medicating a child for instance for ADHD saves you a hell of a lot of time in dealing with behaviours that the medication itself actually controls.

By the way I've clearly said that in the schools we have been in the medication is handled by the reception (as in administration) staff.

No wonder there is such a shortage of teachers, the amount they're expected to do.

I'm not sure exactly what your 'governors' are where you are but I actually said governing body, in Aus we have the department of education who would be able to answer the question of whether schools are obligated to dispense subscribed medicines that are required during school hours.

Never once have I heard of a school over here refusing to do so.

My DD has had T1 diabetes since the age of 2. She'd have been fucked if she went to one of the schools with the attitudes of some of the teachers on this thread.

Luckily, she didn't and one of her teachers even persuaded me that she would be fine to go on a residential, even though I didn't want to put them out. I'm forever grateful to them and the teaching assistants at her primary school, who were absolutely brilliant.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/803956/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf

This is the DfE guidance on managing medical conditions in school. There is nothing in this to say that short term conditions should be managed differently to long term conditions. Note in section 25 "Although school staff should use their discretion and judge each case on its merits with reference to the child’s individual healthcare plan, it is not generally acceptable practice to require parents, or otherwise make them feel obliged, to attend school to
administer medication or provide medical support to their child, including with
toileting issues. No parent should have to give up working because the school
is failing to support their child’s medical needs"

Although no member of staff can be forced to administer medication, schools have a duty to ensure medication is given where necessary. Liability is covered by insurance. All schools should have a managing medicines policy - it is not acceptable to simply say we don't do it....

When I worked in a school I would administer medication, regular medication was ok (adhd, checking blood levels etc) but adhoc was a bit of a nightmare as I always worried I would forget as it wasn't part of my routine. I have given eye drops but I know so colleagues that refused, have also had to fix braces!

I can definitely see the schools view here - they’re lining themselves up for the blame and it’s a huge responsibility.

I’m sure ours does medicine or tablets, but not sure whether they’d do eye drops. These seem more likely to be down wrong/cause an issue due to administration.

Im sorry about your situation, definitely not ideal.

There's a lot of snarky comments on here.

Are the school happy for you to keep your child at home? I think its tricky with it being eye drops.... if it was antibiotics labelled from a GP then I can understand.

At my Sons school it's not the class teacher giving the meds anyway.... its whoever works on the reception!