Administering non prescription medicine in primary schools

[Diddysmummy111]

My understanding of the updated DfE guidance on medicines in school is that they should administer non prescribed medicine with parental consent. The BMA take a dim view of people taking up an appointment to obtain paracetamol that can be bought OTC and they are saying that the Government legislation allows for school to administer Calpol for example without a prescription. Our school are refusing in spite of their policy appearing to support the administration of non-prescription prescription medicine. I just wondered what other people's experiences are with this in their schools?

As others have said, child who needs calpol for minor cold during the day, should stay off school imo.
It's totally different from someone who needs them for pain for injury.
From the parents who has a child with chronic illness's pov, I really appreciate parents don't send in children who may be contagious to school.

Kids do the stay off for colds.
Schools attendance figures would be crap of they did

WaxyBean, there are so many different kind of anti-histamine. My ds takes them daily, but only need to take it twice a day. (Or can give double dose once a day since he is older now.)
No hassle of taking meds at school for my ds.

DS school told me recently that they usually won’t/can’t give without a prescription. They did, however, allow me to send calpol in (with a form filled in) for DS the first week he broke his wrist as it was plainly obvious that there was something wrong. Once that week was up he didn’t need it anymore so all was good - no way did he need to be home for a week for a broken wrist!

2014newme, yes, I get that. But if they need calpol during school hours, that means they are not well enough. Otherwise bit of longer interval between dose really shouldn't matter so much.

Not really, I may take a paracetamol it does not mean I can't go to work. Needing a dose of paracetamol at lunchtime should not stop a child attending school should it

My dc’s primary won’t give any medication that isn’t prescribed. It was a nightmare when dd2 broke her arm and needed regular paracetamol for a couple of weeks (I had to go in at lunch time every day).

Jenny's case, I totally agree that school should accommodate child's needs and let her dc attend.
Everything seems too complicated these days for me.
When I was in primary, if I had a bit of headache, I could just walk in to the first aid and get painkiller without any problem. If the school did that now, there must be parents lining up to sue the school...

Parents can always go in at lunchtime to administer Calpol. I know we work, but if it is a choice between that or keeping them home, then so be it. Schools CAN give it but most DON'T, they are not medical professionals and (as a former mid-day supervisor) I'd prefer to know exactly how my medication was being stored (locked metal cupboard in a locked (steaming hot) boiler room anyone??) and administer it myself anyhow.

Current medical advice is to cut down on the use of Calpol in children as the belief is we are building up countless future health issues for the calpol generations.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/warning-dangers-hildren-too-much-calpol-paediatrician-parents-a6753446.html

Irvine - he only takes piriton in the event of a reaction so may need to take it at school. We don't give a prophylactic dose.

My daughter has ongoing ear issues. Not infections, but her tubes get clogged and she struggles to clear them and it can get painful. School will give her paracetamol tablet at lunchtime to help her through. She would miss a huge amount of school if she had to be at home and I would be unemployed.

As school office staff, we do not give non-prescribed medication unless the pupil has a health care plan which specifically states circumstances - so for prevention of certain circumstances.

This is due to the fact that if a pupil takes Calpol just before leaving for school, so (in the case of most of our students) this would be about 8.30am and we have permission to administer Calpol, we could in theory be approached by a student claiming pain, and apply another dose at break - 10.30am. Understandably, this is not an ideal situation, especially in circumstances when it’s “just a cold”. Nope, if they need it to get through the day, then they should be at home as usually younger kids cough and sneeze over each other - and reinfect the whole school.

Therefore, our policy is prescribed medication at set times; if 3 times a day or less, then it can be done at home (before, after and bedtime), and nothing is required in school.

It’s staffing related too - we no longer have a school nurse, we have to do this in addition to our normal jobs and first aid is a big enough issue.

We do however apply a certain amount of common sense; a broken limb and we will set a temporary plan with parents saying that we will give pain relief at lunch only if required.

Waxy, in that case, it doesn't make sense that he needs to be given over the counter meds.
My ds has anti-histamine for minor reaction kept at school, as well as epipen for worse. But it rarely happens.( Tbh, never happened until now at school, in 5 years.)
Which means the meds just stays at school whole year round, depending on expirely date.
Cannot understand the need to give school over the counter meds, unless he has regular reaction(which is unlikely), why getting it prescribed meds not easy enough?
Doesn't he have medical care plan?

OP if your dc has a long-term medical condition where they may need pain-killers to help manage pain, then it needs to written clearly in the medical care plan what the medication is and under what circumstances it needs to be given. As a parent you also need to know when it has been given and the member of staff administering it.
For older children, they may be able to self adminster with an adult witness.
But there must be clear safeguards and procedures in place.
My child was given medication in school due to a long term medical condition and it turned out the school hadn't been giving them the correct dose required. (It was slightly too high but not enough to cause a problem). This was a really difficult situation to sort out, so if you think that the current school policy is awkward there are good reasons why schools can refuse to offer this type of service.

Can you imagine, if everyone wanted their kids to have calpol (or whatever) during the day? There would be a constant queue, everyone having had doses at different times in the morning!
Our school will give it to children who have had bad attendance, if it makes the difference between them being in school or not, but obviously, that is a special circumstance.

My DD5 had tonsillitis in Reception and had prescribed antibiotics for 10 days, 4 times a day. The school would not administer them to her at all. I work an hours commute away. Luckily my friend who lives near the school would go in and give her the medicine. Same DD also has a peanut allergy and has to have two epi-pens on school premises. The school will administer them in an emergency but the form I had to complete was akin to the Bible in length.

trinity0097 - That is not what the eyfs states - it say PRESCRIPTION medicines can only be administered if prescribed by a doctor etc
The following paragraph tells you what you must do in the case of administering prescription and/or non prescription drugs - i.e. written permission/details from parent