P5316 Administering Medication During School Hours

Medication is given at school only upon written request from both the lawful custodian and a person who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery or dentistry. Implementation of the requests must follow the Elementary and Secondary Schools Accreditation Regulations (KAR 91-31-3 as amended May 1, 1988) and other applicable Kansas laws.  

Administrative Implemental Procedures: 

1. This policy covers both prescribed and over-the-counter medications. Prescriptions are those written by a person licensed to practice medicine or dentistry in the State of Kansas or other competent jurisdiction. 
2. Unnecessary medication administered at school is strongly discouraged. The dosage intervals of many medications can be adjusted so the times for taking the prescription come outside school hours. When possible, interval adjustment should be considered before administering medication at school. 
3. Unlicensed school personnel will not give medications in the school setting unless the administration has been delegated by a licensed registered professional nurse. (See AIP 5) The licensed registered school nurse is responsible for: 
   1. Reviewing medication requests  
   2. Assessing the student’s health status and nursing care needs  
   3. Formulating a medication administration plan  
   4. Determining the appropriateness of the delegation of the task to be assigned. 
4. Requests 
   When necessary to administer medication during school hours, written requests will be submitted to the student’s school signed and dated by both the lawful custodian and licensed physician containing the following: 
   1. Name and birth date of student to receive medication  
   2. Diagnosis/reason for medication  
   3. Name of medication to be given  
   4. Dosage/amount to be given 
   5. Times to be given 
   6. Expected duration of treatment  
   7. Additionally, lawful custodian signature must authorize school health services personnel to exchange information with the prescribing physician and personnel from the dispensing pharmacy. 
   8. Authorize school health services personnel to exchange information with the prescribing physician and personnel from the dispensing pharmacy. 
5. Delegation 
   1. The nurse, in collaboration with the administrator, will identify school staff members necessary to implement the administration plan. 
   2. The nurse will train and document competencies of the designated staff member, and will provide written documentation plans and forms. The nurse is responsible for supervision of the medication plan. 
   3. School personnel will not be responsible for administering injectable medications except as provided in Board policy entitled Prescribed Special Health Care Services. 
   4. Individuals involved in the plan will acknowledge their role by their affixing signature and the date. 
6. Medication will be supplied to the school in a crushproof container, labeled with the following information: 
   1. Student’s name 
   2. Prescription number 
   3. Name of medication and strength 
   4. Dosage and directions for administration 
   5. Date prescription was filled 
   6. Prescribing physician’s/dentist’s name 
   7. Expiration date when applicable 
   8. Medication storage direction when appropriate 
   9. All other information required by the Kansas Pharmacy Practice Act 
   10. It is the lawful custodian’s responsibility to assure that the medication and dosage in the container is the same as is described by the affixed label. 
   11. It is the responsibility of the lawful custodian to provide and maintain an appropriate supply of medication at school. Appropriate amount of medication means: 
       1. Long term medication: a month’s supply, i.e. 20-21 school days supply  
       2. Short-term medication: 5 to 10 school days supply  
       3. PRN medication: supply as determined by the student’s frequency of need, physician’s directions, and pharmacy dispensing guidelines. 
   12. It is the responsibility of the lawful custodian to provide the medication to the school. In collaboration with administrator and lawful custodian, the nurse will determine the appropriate means of transporting medication to and from school. The medication will be given to a school employee who will immediately contact the school nurse, or if the nurse is not readily available, place the medication in locked storage. 
   13. Any change in medication dosages or administration schedules will require new written physician and lawful custodian requests and new or newly labeled medication containers. 
   14. Medication will be kept locked up. 
7. Self-Administration 
   1. In certain circumstances, the lawful custodian and the school nurse may agree to allow the student to take their own medication. Initial requests must be processed and documented as described in AIP 5. 
   2. When the administration plan designates that the student is responsible for their own medication administration, the lawful custodian will send to school only a single day’s supply of medicine at a time, with the exception of inhalers. The medication shall be packaged in a container which identifies the name of the student to receive the medication and the name and dosage of medication. 
   3. The person responsible for documenting self-administration on forms provided by the school nurse will be designated on the medication plan. 
   4. Any abuse of a self-administration plan will result in the loss of privilege. 
8. Termination 
   1. Short-term medications – The medication plan will be terminated when medication supplied by the lawful custodian has been administered, usually within two weeks. 
   2. Long-term medications/PRN (as needed) – During the school year the termination of a medication plan by the lawful custodian, prescribing physician, or school must be by written notice. Otherwise, the medication plan will be automatically terminated when the student changes attendance centers or at the close of the school year, whichever occurs first. 
   3. Medication requests must be updated at the beginning of each school year. 

Administrative Responsibility: Student Support Services 

Latest Revision Date: July 2011 

Previous Revision Date: March 1999 P5316 

Updated administratively for alignment purposes: January 2021 

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