Medication Administration at School.

Before attending school, a child with a life-threatening condition must provide to the school a medication or treatment order detailing any medical services that may be required to be performed at school.?

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Public schools may administer oral, topical, nasal, ear, and eye medications to students in their custody, subject to specified conditions.? For example:

• the school must be in receipt of a written, current request from a parent or a legal guardian to administer the medication to the student;
• the school must also be in receipt of a written, current request and instructions from a licensed health professional regarding the administration of prescribed medication to the student; and
• the medication must be administered by a designated employee in substantial compliance with the prescription and proper medication procedures.? A qualified school nurse must be designated by the school to delegate, train, and supervise the employee in proper medication procedures.

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Unless specifically authorized, public schools may not administer injectable medication.

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Parent-Designated Adults.

School districts are required to provide individual health plans for students with diabetes and for students with seizure disorders.? School districts must also adopt policies for students with these health conditions that include minimum components, such as the possession of legal documents for a parent-designated adult (PDA) to provide care, if needed.

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A PDA is an adult selected by the parents, who may be a school district employee, who volunteers to provide care for the child consistent with the individual health plan.? For PDAs of students with diabetes or seizure disorders, training requirements differ depending on whether the PDA is a school district employee. ?In general, a PDA must receive additional training from a health care professional or expert in care for the child.? In addition, the designated school nurse is not responsible for the supervision of the PDA for those procedures that are authorized by the parents.

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Adrenal Insufficiency.

Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the body does not produce enough of the hormone cortisol.? Cortisol is involved in a wide range of biological functions, including helping regulate the body's response to stress.? When stressed, ill, or injured, people with adrenal insufficiency may experience levels of cortisol low enough to present an imminent risk of shock or death.? Acute severe adrenal insufficiency is therefore a life-threatening emergency, which can be treated by administering injectable cortisol or a similar oral medication.

Parent-designated adults are permitted to provide care for students with adrenal insufficiency if needed.?