Do many schools give medicine if they're asked?

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Only asking because I rang to see if ds's school would because he's getting over a cold and desperate to go for his nativity tomorrow after having 2 days off. I think he'll be fine, but a prophylacitc dose of calpol will do him wonders at lunchtime (psychologically as well as physically!)

I was amazed to hear that they will providing I fill in a form when I drop him off in the morning.

Our school will but it is an indy with its own schoool nurse (shared with the high school)

Incidentally ds was ill on the day of his nativity, they had loads off so encouraged me to take him in after lunch if he felt OK so he could just do that.

Yes - ours does - you have to give consent.

I think filling in a form is fairly standard practise.

Ours will, with the correct form in hand, as a last resort! However, asthma inhalers... a different story

Oh good, glad they're mostly being sensible.

I wonder why ds2's nursey seems so against it then?!

We only give calpol (or other medication) if it has been prescribed by a GP.

Secondary - yes lodged with school nurse and forms signed.

Primary - encourage independant use of inhalers etc; however calpol; antibiotics; hayfever tablets and the like they will not do.

Only prescribed medicines Ii.e. antibiotics).

OUr school would take the line that if a child needs a prophylactic dose of painkiller i.e. nurofen or calpol, then they shouldn't be at school.

With antibiotics for example the child can be well enough to attend school but still be in the position of having to complete the entire course of abs.

Our school gets round it by inviting the parent to come in and administer the medicine themselves at lunchtime - which is fine if you've got sod all better to do but for parents who work any distance away tis a right pita

Only prescribed medicines at our school. My dd has an inhaler at school however they are not allowed to administer it to her, she has to do it for herself, they can help her put the spacer and inhaler together but not actually push the canister (although I think if you fill out a bunch of forms they can and do, never had to push it as dd has been more then capable of doing her inhaler since she was 4. I have never had to sign anything in regards to her inhaler). Calpol however unless it is prescription is a no no, the school operate on a policy that if a child is still needing calpol then they should still be home ill, I tend to agree with them on that.
Pre-school (not connected to the school) are more then happy to give ds his inhaler when he starts in January although his key worker has asked me to go in and give her a refresher course as although she is an ex children's nurse it has been a long time since she gave a child asthma medication, something I am more then happy to do. Pre-school will not give calpol, same as school, if they need medication for illness that is not long term and doctor managed they should be at home.

Only prescribed medication in a pharmacy labelled container with the dosage and a consent form from the parent.

I sent a bottle of antibiotics in with a note. That was enough.
DD's school seem a bit woo with regard to medicine, she fell over and bumped her head, they gave her some arnica cream rubbed into her hair and no ice pack.

We also have parents giving written permission for another parent to administer antibiotics.
Teachers will do epipens and supervise use of inhalers if necessary, but not anything else.
It's not lack of inclination on our part, or laziness. It's the rules to protect staff and children from the consequences of things going wrong.

Only prescribed medication at my dds school too and this must be long term not antibiotics etc. School has the view that if they're on antibiotics they are too ill to be in school. Only way round this is to bring child home for lunch and give antibiotics then.

However my child does require long term medication for epilepsy and the school does do this. This has not been without difficulty, however, as have had problems in the past despite filling out the forms. As a result of these problems school has had to tighten the rules up and provide training for staff concerned.

ds is at an SEN school and they have specific policy in place for medication.
Taxi escort hands over complete packets in original pharmacy box and the parent fills in consent forms. Medicine is kept in locked cabinet and checked by 2 adults before being administered.

dd mainstream school will not administer meds. A diabetic child would be roughly monitored (asked if he had taken his bloods etc) but any slight concern and mum was called. Mum ended up volunteering at the school as her son was on 6 injections a day and needed a lot of support (reception age). I have known parents send meds in bags with their children when they have been on antibiotics etc which is concerning.

It is a difficult area for schools to manage. In the high school I work at we can not give out painkillers but parents can bring them in and the students tend to have their own with them.

Prescribed medication only at our school, and you have to fill in a form. I think that's fair enough, really - the school shouldn't have to be dosing kids up on calpol etc.

All schools should have a policy but the latest "guidance"
Managing Medicines in Schools

states

^Medicines should only be taken to school or settings when essential; that
is where it would be detrimental to a child?s health if the medicine were not
administered during the school or setting ?day?. Schools and settings should
only accept medicines that have been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse
prescriber or pharmacist prescriber. Medicines should always be provided in
the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and include the
prescriber?s instructions for administration and dosage.
Schools and settings should never accept medicines that have
been taken out of the container as originally dispensed nor make
changes to dosages on parental instructions.
It is helpful, where clinically appropriate, if medicines are prescribed in
dose frequencies which enable it to be taken outside school hours. Parents
could be encouraged to ask the prescriber about this. It is to be noted that
medicines that need to be taken three times a day could be taken in the
morning, after school hours and at bedtime.
The Medicines Standard of the National Service Framework (NSF) for
Children6 recommends that a range of options are explored including:
Prescribers consider the use of medicines which need to be administered only
once or twice a day (where appropriate) for children and young people so that
they can be taken outside school hours
Prescribers consider providing two prescriptions, where appropriate and
practicable, for a child?s medicines: one for home and one for use in the
school or setting, avoiding the need for repackaging or relabelling of
medicines by parents^

in ours it only if the medication is prescribed, written permission given and the designated person phones proir to administering it to check no overlaps. It seems a palva but unfortunatly very necessery

we can check bloods for diabetic children but phone parents if result id too low or high

DS school will give his antihistamines in an emergency, had trouble when he was on them daily but sorted after letter from GP and meeting with the head. Not sure about AB as he's only had them once since starting school and was so ill he was off for a whole week anyway. I know another local school will not give prescribed AB.

My school, a special school, we have a school nurse who draws out the doses and staff check it (2 staff) before administering it and then sign to say it was given. That includes drugs for pupils daily as well as emergency drugs such as medazolam and diazapam. We also administer insulin, take blood sugar, test sats and do NG tube/ gastrostomy feeds including the checks.

I guess there is a policy and then adaptations are made per casethat arises. My DS is awaiting a further consultation and may be needing epi-pens after more severe reation recently and I know the school will administer these.