Administering Prescribed Medication at School

When a medical practitioner has prescribed medication that must be administered during the school day, parents are responsible for:

• bringing this need to the attention of the school.
  
  
• ensuring that the information is updated if it changes.
  
  
• supplying the medication and any 'consumables' necessary for its administration in a timely way.
  
  
• collaborating with the school in working out arrangements for the supply and administration of the prescribed medication.
  
  

The administration of such medication forms part of the Department's common law duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep students safe while they attend school. This duty of care is fulfilled through its staff members.

Parents of children who require prescribed medication to be administered at school must complete a written request. The Principal will provide the form to the parent.

Students must not carry medications unless there is a written agreement between the school and the student's parents that this is a planned part of the student's health care support.

Please note: Students' immediate access to prescribed medication is very important for the effective management of conditions such as asthma. Students and parents need to be advised of this requirement so that students are not left without access to critical medication.

Except in an emergency, only individual staff members who have volunteered and been trained, will administer prescribed medication to students.

Self Administration of Prescribed Medication by Students

The common law duty of care does not extend to administering prescribed medication to students who are reasonably able to self administer. However if a student self administers prescribed medication the Department has a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that the self administration is carried out safely.

Notes re Emergency Care:
Schools do not supply or administer medications in an emergency unless they have been provided by parents as part of a negotiated individual health care plan for a specific student.

In an emergency which has not been anticipated in the emergency response/care section of an individual health care plan (which has been negotiated for an individual student known to be at high risk of a serious emergency reaction) staff will provide a general emergency response, eg call an ambulance.