Does your child's school administrator non prescription medicine?

[OnNaturesCourse]

DD has a prescription for her acid reflux and antibiotics for a chest infection.

The reflux medication is vile and she refused to take it. GP advised over the phone to try a different brand and flavour. DD took to this so we continued with it.

She returned to school today. I labelled all the medicines and filled in the appropriate forms for the school to administrator it all. She needs to have it all before her lunch today, and going forward will need the reflux medication for the foreseeable.

The school has called me saying they can't give her the reflux medication as it's not prescribed. I told them she has a prescription for a different brand and flavour but the GP advised we try a different one as DD wouldn't take the prescribed one. School remained firm on not giving her it.

Their advice was to collect her before lunch.

I'm shocked that they won't give her medication I have signed off on, and that she really needs.

I plan on calling the GP tomorrow and explaining the situation. But I doubt they will reissue a prescription for this other brand as its more expensive and not "on their books" (as said to me in the original call) Would a GP issue a letter explaining the situation?

Has anyone else had a similar issue? What was the resolution?

My dd’s school will give her calpol that I’ve handed in (with no prescription) for a particular issue that I’ve signed on a form. Usually they will call me or ask via message app but not always.

Left school now only suncream was given.

My DCs primary school wouldn't even give short term prescription meds eg antibiotics. You had to go into school and give them yourself if you couldn't work the timings around school hours. They never gave calpol or similar.
I presume they did give medication for ongoing conditions, and they certainly kept inhalers.
They wouldn't apply suncream due to allergies.

Ours do for OTC meds that need to be given during school time. Paracetamol, antihistamine etc

Otherwise the school is going to have to get her to take the original medicine (and honestly, good luck to them)

If she refuses they won't force her, you must know that.

Do the school have a legal responsibility to make sure she takes non prescribed medication?

Of course they won't, not worth the risk!

You could go to school and give her the medication yourself. Then you're not forcing the school to battle your child or falsifying medication. If they found out you had done that, there would be all sorts of safeguarding implications.
Schools aren't obliged to administer medications.
They are absolutely right not to give unprescribed medication.

Hadn't finished typing....
They're right not to give in prescribed medication unless there is a full care plan in place.

No, I can not go to school three times a day for the foreseeable future. That's not sustainable.

Yes. Basically NHS have their own unbranded medication that is a horrible taste. You can buy branded and have a option of flavours.

In this case I'd expect them to contact me and arrange for collection of DD so she could have her medication.

If it’s going to be a long term thing there should be a proper care plan in place anyway . I don’t think any school would happily give a medicine long term that isn’t prescribed just on a parents say so

Our school won't administer anything. Not even a plaster. We have 2 trained members of staff for the students with serious health issues (potentially needing defibrillator in one case, and injection for anaphylaxis in another are the ones I teach, not sure about others) Nobody else is authorised to do anything.

Thank you all for the responses.

Safe to say its not just DDs school that won't give medication despite the parents wishes (which to me is absolutely ridiculous unless there are other concerns or its a case of doping them up with calpol etc.)

I will get onto our GP.

DD suffers from lots of allergy’s. Mild peanut allergy, hay fever and hay fever induced asthma. When she was at primary school, there was a bottle of antihistamine with instruction to give if required for her peanut allergy. It was mild and she came out in hives which went fairly quickly
with antihistamines.

I went to pick her up one day and the teacher came out to see me to say she’d had really sore eyes at playtime because they’d cut the grass and her hay fever was flaring up. She’d given her some of her antihistamine to help, which it had, and hoped that was ok with me.

I think to date, it’s the most sensible thing a school has ever done! Child was suffering, they had something that would make her better, so they gave it to her.

It was a very small village primary though - I’m not sure of that made a difference.

Why would you have to go in three times a day? Is this a 2 hourly thing then?

Three times as I do drop her off and pick her up too.

Unfortunately between these times I have other commitments as I am sure many other parents do.

See, this is logical thinking.

If it’s the same medication at the same dosage and it’s just the brand name that’s different then their might be a way to show that to the school that means they will accept it’s the same thing.
If the name of the drug is different then no chance.

@NowZeusHasLainWithLeda thats appalling what if the staff member is off sick and the other on a trip or otherwise not available? Surely every staff member should know how to use a defib, inhaler and epipen as an absolute minimum. There’s been recent campaigns for schools to keep unnamed epipens in schools to be used if someone has their first anaphylactic reaction all staff should know the signs and symptoms and how to manage.

@OnNaturesCourse have a look at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/306952/Statutory_guidance_on_supporting_pupils_at_school_with_medical_conditions.pdf
should give you some guidance on what schools are obligated to do to support children with medical conditions

Not sure tbh, though I'm guessing there's a system in place. I think it's more concerning that nobody thinks it's relevant enough to train members of staff really. Though I know there was some hoohah when it was proposed to have everyone trained in administering insulin. The union reps got involved with the respective unions and it was knocked on the head as "we aren't HCPs, but teachers".

That's ridiculous. What are the first aiders trained in? My kids primary will give out plasters, prescribed and unprescribed medicine as long as you fill in a form.

Our previous primary agreed to give Calpol, nurofen and antihistamines as and when needed and none were on prescription