Taking Medications at School: Tips for Parents

Whenever your children are on medications they must take during school hours, it’s a time when parents need to closely coordinate with school officials. At 24/7 Pediatric Care Centers, we are prepared to assist parents and teachers/administrators with answers to medication questions and concerns.

Strict guidelines have been set for school officials on how they are to handle students’ medications. As parents, you play an essential role in coordinating a smooth transition between home and school where medications need to be given in a safe way, as prescribed.

Here are tips for helping to coordinate your child’s course of medications.

• Schools must receive medications in their original bottles, so ask your pharmacist to split the medication between a home supply and a school supply bottle. Both should be clearly labeled with name, date, schedule of dosage, and other details.
• Make sure you, as parent or adult caregiver, hand off the medication to the school officials in person. Do not have your child make the hand-over.
• You will need to present the school with your doctor’s signed authorization, as well as sign a parent’s authorization. The doctor’s authorization should include all details about times to administer medications, dosage, over how many days they should be given, possible side effects and other necessary details.
• If your child has a chronic disease that requires medication “as needed” or during an emergency, consult with the school nurse and administration on how your child will receive medications properly at school, during sporting events, or on field trips.
• Be sure that you give the first dose of the medication before it is administered at school. Watch over the next 12-24 hours for signs of reaction to the medication. Be sure to call us if you have any concerns.
• Do not have your children carry and administer their own medications.

We want all of our young patients requiring medications to receive them in a safe, timely way. We are available by phone to advise caregivers at home and staff at school about your children and their medications.