Is it acceptable to tell a teen to ask another child for painkillers?

[LifeIsGoodish]

I did not tell my 16yo to ask a schoolmate for paracetamol or ibuprofen. Should I have done? Would that be acceptable on a school trip?

Dd was very ill a few months ago. She appears to have made a full recovery, except for some ongoing intermittent pain, which is being investigated. I've told her (and told her and told her) to always have ibuprofen or paracetamol on her so that she doesn't have to be worn down by pain.

Dd is currently abroad on a school trip. Late last night she messaged me that she was in a lot of pain. She hadn't packed any pain relief! Long text conversation. Upshot was that she refused to talk to a teacher, and begged me not to contact them myself. I'm fairly confident that it's 'just' the pain issue, and not the more serious original illness.

They'll be home in 24h, but I really would rather the teachers knew if dd was in severe pain. They know how ill she's been, and I'd feel better if they were keeping an extra eye peeled.

I would also like dd to take something for the pain, otherwise it will exhaust her.

I think it's fine for a 16 year old to ask another 16 year old for paracetamol or ibuprofen. Or if they are passing a pharmacy or supermarket she could buy some.

I understand why you would want the member of staff to know, but I think at this age it should be your daughter's decision who she tells (unless you are worried about her safety, obviously).

I think it's fine to tell her to ask a friend for painkillers. I'd also say that you think she should ask one of the teachers too. In fact tell her that you will be checking in with her in a couple of hours and unless she can report that she's all drugged up, you'll be contacting the teachers direct,

I’d be concerned why she was refusing to tell a teacher she was in pain and begging you not to tell them?

Gynae issue? Gosh yes she should ask for help.
Any branch of Lidl in Europe sells painkillers for cheap prices.

At 16 years old, if they are generally fine and responsible with meds, then that should be fine to ask a friend.

On our school trips (as a teacher) we ask that the parents don’t send any painkillers directly with the children at all, so that we are fully aware of any taken. We would ask parents to send them in to us as per our medicines policy and then we would administer them if necessary, we wouldn’t withhold and leave a child in pain. I wouldn’t be encouraging her to take medicine from another child.

Are the group altogether or staying with host families? Staff should be made aware she is struggling and perhaps help her to find paracetamol or seek advice of pharmacy.

She needs to talk to the teacher.

What age group, unicorncupcake?

On our school trips (as a teacher) we ask that the parents don’t send any painkillers directly with the children at all, so that we are fully aware of any taken. We would ask parents to send them in to us as per our medicines policy and then we would administer them if necessary,

This was the policy when my dd went on a school trip and she was 16 in yr 11. They weren't meant to have any tablets on them. All had to be given to a certain teacher in a container labelled with their name.

Up to 18. I have confiscated painkillers from kids at school and handed them in to the office before (year 11s) as you absolutely cannot have kids sharing medication. I had a child on a trip last year who had had major surgery recently and forgotten his painkillers. I rang his mum, and purchased cocodamol in boots whilst on the phone to her. I gave him two tablets, kept the rest of the packet until the end of the day when I handed it to her in the car park. Painkillers are very dangerous-it only takes about 8 paracetamol to be at serious risk of death from an overdose. I don’t care how sensible people think their teenagers are, on a school trip they should not be able to hand painkillers out unsupervised.

ds(15) was recently on school trip to France. I packed paracetamol for him just in case he needed it under strict instructions to text me if he had to take them and not to give to another child without asking a teacher first or texting me their mothers details so I could check it was ok, but with adult permission it would have been no problem giving them a couple.

Teachers told us they would hold and provide prescription labelled medication only.

Update:

Dd home safe and sound. Fed and watered and fast asleep with the fan on in her room. Pain had eased by the morning and she didn't need any pain meds. I think this intermittent pain is made worse by exhaustion. Hopefully the appointment for her scan will come through soon and we'll get to the bottom of it. And, hopefully, she will learn from this to always carry pain meds with her.

At 16 I'd still be checking she has packed the meds. I know they need to learn to be independent but it wouldn't take 2 mins to double check.

if they are passing a pharmacy or supermarket she could buy some

You'd think so at 16 wouldn't you. Given as there is no age restriction on buying pain killers.
Sainsbury's refused to sell paracetamol to DD (22) because she didn't have ID on her. They also refused to sell them to DH (her father) because they suspected he was buying them for her.
No law, store policy. 😡

From 16 on they have privacy to their gp appointments/records. So following the same logic, I think it is absolutely acceptable.