Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township
Bylaws & Policies
 

5330 - USE OF MEDICATIONS

The School Board shall not be responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of student illness. The administration of prescribed medication and/or medically-prescribed treatments to a student during school hours will be permitted only when failure to do so would jeopardize the health of the student, the student would not be able to attend school if the medication or treatment were not made available during school hours, or the child has a disability and requires medication to benefit from his/her educational program.

For purposes of this policy, "medication" shall include all medicines, including those prescribed by a physician and any nonprescribed (over-the-counter) drugs, preparations, and/or remedies. "Treatment" refers both to the manner in which a medication is administered and to health-care procedures which require special training, such as catheterization or intravenous or intramuscular injection.

Before any prescribed medication or treatment may be administered to any student during school hours, the Board shall require the written prescription from the child's physician accompanied by the written authorization of the parent (see Form 5330 F1). This document shall be kept on file in the office of the nurse, and made available to the persons authorized to administer the medication or treatment. The prescription must be in its original container, labeled with the student’s name and the exact dosage. At no time is the school to administer a dosage other than that authorized by the physician’s prescription.

Both the physician and the parent also must authorize any self-medication by the student. In addition, the physician's statement authorizing self-medication must include the information set forth in Policy 5330.01 - Self-Administered Medication.

The Board requires the prior written consent of the parent before any nonprescribed medication or treatment may be administered (see Form 5330 F1a and Form 5330 F1b). These documents shall be kept in the office of the School Nurse. Except in the case of authorized self-medication, all forms of medication shall be administered by the School Corporation in accordance with the Superintendent's guidelines. No student is allowed to provide or sell any type of over-the-counter medication to another student.

Violations of this rule will be considered violations of Policy 5530 – Drug Prevention and of the Student Code of Conduct/Student Discipline Code.

Pursuant to I.C. 20-34-4.5-0.2, "emergency medication" includes:

 

A.

Albuterol;

     
 

B.

Epinephrine and

     
 

C.

Naloxone.

Additionally, the Board authorizes students to maintain at school other emergency medications that have the same use as Albuterol (i.e., other inhaled medications to treat asthma and similar conditions), Epinephrine (i.e., other medications used to treat allergic reactions.

Students who may require administration of an emergency medication may have such medication stored in the School Nurse’s office and administered in accordance with this policy. However, if authorization (Form 5330 F3) for self-medication has been provided by the parent and physician that complies with the requirements of Policy 5330.01 - Self-Administered Medication, then the student may retain possession of the self-administered medications.

Pursuant to I.C. 20-34-4.5-0.4, "emergency stock medication" means emergency medication to which both of the following apply:

 

A.

The prescription for the emergency medication is filled by the Corporation or a school in the Corporation; and

     
 

B.

The emergency medication is stored at a school in the Corporation pursuant to one of the options below.

The Corporation or a school in the Corporation may fill a prescription for Albuterol and store the Albuterol in a school in the Corporation (if filled by a school in the Corporation, it must be stored in that school) if a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication writes the prescription for Albuterol for the school or Corporation. The school shall store the Albuterol in a safe location in which only school employees have access.

A school nurse may administer Albuterol obtained via a prescription written for the school or Corporation by a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication to any of the following individuals if the individual is demonstrating signs or symptoms of a life-threatening emergency and the individual does not have emergency medication at the school or the individual's prescription is not available:

 

A.

students at the school

   
 

B.

Corporation employees

   
 

C.

visitors at the school

Corporation employees may administer Albuterol obtained via a prescription written for the school or Corporation by a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication if the following are met:

 

A.

The Corporation employee has voluntarily received training in:

   
 

1.

recognizing a life-threatening emergency;

     
 

2.

the proper administration of emergency medication;

     
 

by a health care provider who is licensed or certified in Indiana, for whom the administration of emergency medication is within the health care provider's scope of practice, who has received training in the administration of emergency medication, and who is knowledgeable in recognizing the symptoms of a life-threatening emergency and the administration of emergency medication.

   
 

B.

The individual to whom Albuterol is being administered is:

   
 

1.

a student at the school;

   
 

2.

a Corporation employee; or

   
 

3.

a visitor at the school.

The Corporation or a school in the Corporation may fill a prescription for auto-injectable epinephrine and store the auto-injectable epinephrine in a school in the Corporation (if filled by a school in the Corporation, it must be stored int hat school) if a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication writes the prescription for auto-injectable epinephrine for the school or Corporation. The school shall store the auto-injectable epinephrine in a safe location in which only school employees have access. Injectable epinephrine that is filled and used in accordance with this policy must have an expiration date of not less than twelve (12) months from the date that the pharmacy dispenses the injectable epinephrine to the school or Corporation.

A school nurse may administer auto-injectable epinephrine obtained via a prescription written for the school or Corporation by a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication to any of the following individuals if the individual is demonstrating signs or symptoms of a life-threatening emergency and the individual does not have emergency medication at the school or the individual's prescription is not available:

 

A.

students at the school

   
 

B.

Corporation employees

   
 

C.

visitors at the school

Corporation employees may administer auto-injectable epinephrine obtained via a prescription written for the school or Corporation by a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication if the following are met:

 

A.

The Corporation employee has voluntarily received training in:

   
 

1.

recognizing a life-threatening emergency;

     
 

2.

the proper administration of emergency medication;

     
 

by a health care provider who is licensed or certified in Indiana, for whom the administration of emergency medication is within the health care provider's scope of practice, who has received training in the administration of emergency medication, and who is knowledgeable in recognizing the symptoms of a life-threatening emergency and the administration of emergency medication.

   
 

B.

The individual to whom the epinephrine is being administered is:

   
 

1.

a student at the school;

   
 

2.

a Corporation employee; or

   
 

3.

a visitor at the school.

The Corporation or a school in the Corporation may fill a prescription for Naloxone and store the Naloxone in a school in the Corporation (if filled by a school in the Corporation, it must be stored in that school) if a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication writes the prescription for Naloxone for the school or Corporation. The school shall store the Naloxone in a safe location in which only school employees have access.

A school nurse may administer Naloxone obtained via a prescription written for the Corporation or a school in the Corporation by a health care provider who is licensed in Indiana and whose scope of practice includes the prescribing of medication to any of the following individuals if the individual is demonstrating signs or symptoms of a life-threatening emergency and the individual does not have emergency medication at the school or the individual's prescription is not available:

 

A.

students at the school

   
 

B.

Corporation employees

   
 

C.

visitors at the school

and the school nurse is acting in good faith and attempts to summon emergency services either immediately before or immediately after administering the Naloxone.

The Corporation must:

 

A.

annually register with either the state department or local health department in the county where the Corporation is located in a manner prescribed by the state department of health;

     
 

B.

provide education and training on drug overdose response and treatment, including the administration of an overdose intervention drug; and

     
 

C.

provide drug addiction treatment information and referrals to drug treatment programs, including programs in the local area and programs that offer medication assisted treatment that includes a federal Food and Drug Administration-approved long-acting, nonaddictive medication for the treatment of opioid or alcohol dependence.

A school nurse or Corporation employee shall:

 

A.

make a report when an emergency stock medication is administered; and

     
 

B.

submit the report to the Indiana Department of Education in an electronic format not later than ten (10) school days after the emergency stock medication is administered.

Medication that is possessed by a school for administration during school hours or at school functions may be released to the student's parent or to an individual who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and who has been designated, in writing, by the student's parent to receive the medication.

A school may send home medication that is possessed by a school for administration during school hours or at school functions with a student only, if the student's parent provides written permission for the student to receive the medication.

The Superintendent shall prepare administrative guidelines, as needed, to address the proper implementation of this policy.

I.C. 16-42-27
I.C. 20-33-8-13
I.C. 20-34-3-18, 20-34-4.5
I.C. 34-30-2-85.6, 34-30-12, 34-30-14
511 IAC 7-36-9

Revised 2/14/17
Revised 11/14/17
Revised 2/13/18

© Neola 2017