The administration of medications to students by school staff will only occur when a prescribing health practitioner has determined that it is necessary.
If administration of medication to students is to occur during school hours then parents/carers will need to draw their attention to the following Departmental Guidelines around this administration.
The Department recognises that all medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) medications, e.g. paracetamol or alternative medicines, may be drugs or poisons and may cause side effects. As such, schools are required to receive medical authorisation from a prescribing health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist, optometrist, but
not a pharmacist) to administer
any medication to students, including those bought
over-the-counter.
Medication will need to be provided to the school in the original container with a pharmacy label detailing instructions about dosage requirements at the medical practitioner’s direction.
The pharmacy label needs to include the prescribing health practitioner’s name. If the label does not have the prescribing health practitioners name on it, then an accompanying letter from the prescribing health practitioner will be required. N.b. A letter from the parent to administer medication will not suffice if medical authorisation cannot be confirmed.
If medical authorisation is not confirmed, the parent/carer will be advised that until medical authorisation can be confirmed, and they wish their child to receive medication during school hours, they will have to attend the school to take the responsibility for its administration.
Before any medication can be administered to a child at school, parents/carers will need to complete the appropriate record sheet provided by the school:
o for each routine/short term medication complete Section 1 of
Administration of Medication Record Sheet (Routine/Short-term) (DOCX, 115KB)
o for each emergency medication complete Section 1 of Administration of Medication Record Sheet (As-needed Medication) (DOCX, 107KB).
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At no time will any medication provided for one student be administered to another student, including siblings.
At Rochedale State School, staff authorised by the Principal to administer medication are office staff, First Aid Certification holders and school administration staff.
At all times, medication will be stored securely in the school office. Special circumstances may result in exceptions, e.g. inhaler therapy for asthma self-administration, EpiPen ® for Anaphylaxis or other specialised health requirements- see corresponding sections below for more details.
After the appropriate administration of medication forms have been completed and signed, it is then the responsibility of parents/carers to
notify the school in writing:
when medication is no longer required to be administered at school
if changes occur in the dosage requirements for students' routine medication (where an adjustment to the authorization form would be required, along with an accompanying letter from the medical practitioner)
when emergency medication changes occur (and provide an accompanying letter/action plan from the prescribing health practitioner)
in advance if medication is being transported with the student for purposes other than administration at school (respite, shared parental arrangements, before and after school care).
For all transportation of medication, parents/carers (or an adult authorised by the parent/carer) are strongly encouraged to provide and collect student’s medication in person.
If there are circumstances where you are unavailable to drop off or transport your child’s current or unused medication, then you will need to contact the school and pre-arrange an agreed upon safe method of transportation.
At the end of the school year, (or if medication requirements cease, at the notification of parent) parents/carers are required to come to the school to collect all unused medication. The unused medication will be returned to the parent/legal guardian of the student in its original container.
At the beginning of each school year, parents/carers are required to complete new Administration of Medication Record Sheets. At this time, parents are also requested to provide current/new Action plans, where applicable.
Administration of First Aid Emergency Medication
Queensland state schools are required to retain two types of first aid emergency medications in the school first aid kit – an asthma reliever and an adrenaline auto-injector (e.g. EpiPen ®) to respond to an asthma or anaphylaxis emergency event. These medications may be administered as a first aid response to students, staff or other personnel on the school site.
For a student who has prescribed emergency medication for their health condition, if the medication is required, staff should administer it to the student with reference to the student’s Emergency Health Plan (EHP) or Action Plan and their Administration of medication at school record sheet (emergency medication).
ASTHMA
As well the Administration of Medication Record Sheet (Emergency Medication) (DOCX, 107KB), an
Asthma Action Plan will be required for students that do not self-administer their medication. The student’s medical practitioner completes this plan. A copy of this plan is kept in the office, in the student’s classroom in an easily accessible place as well as being uploaded to your child’s OneSchool Medication record.
Asthma Self-administration
Parents/carers may authorise for an older or more independent student with severe fast onset asthma to carry their own emergency medication.
Parents/carers who have approved for their child to self-administer their asthma medication will be required to provide this notification in writing
Parents/carers will be required to complete anAuthority for student to self-administer Asthma medication at school. This consent letter details that you know your child has the capacity to confidently, competently and safely administer the right dose of their own asthma medication at the right times and can store their medication securely in their bag at school.
A record will be made on OneSchool to show that the student has Asthma- and self-administers medication.
For the wellbeing of our students who have authority to self-administer, we recommend that parents/carers provide an Asthma Action Plan and a back-up puffer to the school office to compliment the puffer that is stored in the student’s school bag.
ANAPHLYLAXIS
EpiPens ® are stored in the office, unless there is a requirement that theEpiPen ® is required to be with the child at all times.
Parents/carers may authorise for an older or more independent student with severe allergies at risk of anaphylaxis to carry their own emergency medication. This will be detailed on the Anaphylaxis Action plan completed by the medical practitioner.
Management of Students with Specialised Health Needs
For students with specialised health care needs, e.g. diabetes, colostomy care etc. will have an Individual and Emergency Health Plans or Action Plans in accordance with the Management of Students with Specialised Health Needs policy procedures. This plan is developed with the school, the parent/carer, the departmental registered nurse and medical practitioner. Relevant staff who assist to manage specialised health care procedures will be specifically trained by a qualified health practitioner in order to carry out required procedures.