St Bernadette’s Primary School Lalor Park

Medication Policy

RATIONALE
At St Bernadette’s, as part of ‘Duty of Care’ children who are prescribed medication by a registered medical practitioner need to have a facility which allows that medication to be administered at nominated times.

BELIEFS
At St Bernadette’s we believe:
•	All parents, staff and children are to be aware of the extent of the school’s responsibility regarding the supervision of children who take prescribed medication.
•	Whilst nominated school First Aid Officers supervise the administration of prescribed medication, they are indemnified against legal action.

MEDICATION:
Short Term - Children fit to be at school but need to complete a course of antibiotics or medication prescribed by a doctor.

Parental Responsibilities

Parents must accept full responsibility in delegating the administering of the medication to the school.
Parents are required to request the administration of medication to their child in writing, signed, dated and stating the duration of medication and administration requirements of the medication
To save disruption to class lessons, parents are to time dosage of medication to take place 5 mins before or after recess/lunch breaks.
Parents to provide the medication as a pre-measured dose in a container clearly marked with the child’s name, name of the drug, time of administration and prescribing doctor’s name.
Parents are not to send children to school with a high temperature or other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes that could be contagious, excessive coughing and/or flu symptoms, live lice.

Long Term Medication - children who have an ongoing medical condition that requires them to take essential medication prescribed by a doctor during school hours 

Copies of standard permission forms, in accordance with C.E.O. Guidelines are available from the school office for Long Term medication needs.  Forms available are:

Letter of Explanation
Parent forms and doctor forms
Parent Permission Form
Deed of Indemnity
Permission for release of medical information
Request to prescribing doctor for medical details
Notification of change to medication

Parental Responsibilities:

Parent to obtain above forms from school office and return duly signed and completed before medication can be administered.
Parents to send medication to the school in a container with separate daily doses for the week (available from most chemists) clearly marked with the child’s name and class and administration requirements of the medication.
Parents to advise school of any changes in medication in writing. 
Parents to ask Prescribing Doctor to complete a new Medical Advice Form if any changes to medication.
Parents to complete new forms at the beginning of each school year.
To save disruption to class lessons, parents to request Prescribing Doctor to time dosage of medication to take place 5mins before or after recess/lunch breaks, if possible.

Asthma:
Staff must be aware of the students who suffer from asthma and the need for them to carry their medication with them at all times.
The Asthma Emergency Kit (located in the Sick Bay) will be taken on all excursions outside the school.
Spare puffer to be kept in the Emergency Kit.
Teachers must be familiar with and display in their classrooms the four step procedure for dealing with an asthma attack. These procedures will also be displayed in the Learning Centre, Multi-purpose Room and other rooms used by students
Register to be kept in the First Aid Room.
Record to be kept of any emergency treatment given.
Parents to be informed immediately of any emergency treatment given.
Reminder to go out to parents at the beginning of each year re asthma. 
Records to be updated yearly.
Parents to ensure that medication is up to date.

Anaphylaxis
•	Staff must be aware of the students who suffer from anaphylaxis and the need for them to carry their Epi pen with them at all times.
•	Photos of Children with allergies and other relevant medical conditions to be kept in the Staff room, the student’s class roll, the Learning Centre and in the Sick Bay and all casual folders.
•	Teachers must be familiar with the use of the Epi Pen, which is to be demonstrated at a Staff Meeting and instructions are kept on the Sick Bay wall.
•	The Epi Pen is to be placed into a bag/container and handed to the teacher on duty and returned to the student at the end of the break.
•	The Epi Pen is to be taken on excursions and evacuations.
•	The epi pen is to be taken home each day
•	A spare epi pen will be kept in the office in case of an emergency
•	Register to be kept in the First Aid Room
•	Record to be kept of any emergency treatment given.
•	Parents to be informed immediately of any emergency treatment given
•	Reminder to go out to parents at the beginning of each year re epi pen 
•	Records to be updated yearly
•	Parents to ensure that medication is up to date

Special Needs

•	 Parents to let the school know if their child suffers from any allergies and Action
Plans are to be developed.
Parents to let the school know if a child suffers a serious illness or disability. This is especially important in the case of diabetes, epilepsy, allergies, brain, skull injuries etc.
Plan of action in cases of children with specific disabilities to be worked out with parent, doctor, and relevant staff for each individual case.
Copy of Action Plan to be displayed in Sick Bay, Office, Child’s class roll, the Learning Centre, all casual folders and Staff Notice Board
The same guidelines as for Long Term Medication apply to students with particular ongoing medical conditions, i.e. written instructions validated by the doctor, recording of details, awareness of staff dealing with the student and administration under supervision of prescribed medications.

  Medication - Excursions:

Parents to ensure that required medication be sent to school clearly marked for day of excursion
Teachers to ensure that the Excursion Permission Note requiring parents to indicate if medication is needed on excursion is completed and taken with them.
Responsibilities – same procedures as for short term/long term medication.

School Responsibilities:

Medication must be kept in a locked storage area in the school sick bay
The First Aid Officer administering the medication to be delegated by the Principal and should have a first aid certificate
In the absence of the delegated person/s a member of the school executive staff will be responsible for the administration of medication
Students to be supervised while taking medication
Two people to check child’s identification and correct medication
Details to be recorded and kept in a medication register
Medication register to be located at all times in the Sick Bay
When consulting with parents about medical needs of a student with ADHD, a written information form from the prescribing doctor, giving exact dose and times of administration is mandatory - permission notes from parents will not be accepted. 

Teacher Responsibilities:

The teacher will send children who require medication to the school office at the appropriate time - 5 mins before or after recess times (suggested time to avoid disruption to class lesson)
Teacher to send medication to the office for safe keeping (or refrigeration)
Originals of all parent and/or doctor authority forms are to be sent to the office to be kept on file.
Teachers will receive a copy of the original form and keep it in their class roll.
Delegated Teacher is responsible for the administering of medication when the child is on an excursion.

To be reviewed 2017