Medication Policy

II. PROVISIONS

This policy is essentially predicated upon the following principles:
1. Ideally, all medication should be given at home. It is recognized, however, that many students are able to attend regular school classes because of the effectiveness of medication in the treatment of both chronic and temporary disabilities and illnesses.
2. There is abroad in the land a tendency to the unrestrained use of self-medication, without medical supervision, encouraged by extensive advertising by manufacturers and dispensers of proprietary drugs and other substances. The unsupervised self-administration of these medicative substances may affect adversely not only the physical and emotional health of students, but may also create psychological dependence upon medication generally, and subsequent susceptibility to the use of hard drugs and other controlled substances.
3. All of the foregoing is complicated by the unregulated distribution of non-prescription medicative substances -- substances which are manufactured and distributed to look like hard drugs and controlled substances, which in themselves may be physically and emotionally harmful to the consumer and which may very well lead to the illegal, harmful, and self-destructive use of hard drugs and other controlled substances.
4. An educational institution’s foremost responsibility to its students is to their health, safety, and general welfare. The clear policy of the Mifflin County School District is that no medication as hereinafter defined shall be brought upon school property by any student other than in conformity with the regulations hereinafter set forth.
For purposes of this policy and the regulations adopted as part of the policy, medication shall be defined as any drug or other agency used to treat disease or other physical or emotional condition or injury, whether or not medically prescribed, or any other substance not usually marketed for ingesting, inhalation, or application by humans and not used in the treatment of disease or injury, but which is brought onto school premises for purposes of ingestion or inhalation, the direct result of which is apt to be harmful to the physical or emotional condition of the subject. The foregoing shall include, without limitation, aspirin, antihistamines, decongestants, cleaning and other solvents, caffeine, phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, cough drops and lozenges, steroids, proprietary drugs and medications, patent medicines and the like, and any combination of any of the foregoing, in liquid, solid or inhalant form, irrespective of whether they are branded or unbranded and appear as pills, lozenges, capsules, liquid, cough crops, salves, unguents, lotions, or the like.
It is preferred that in the case of all medications, whether prescribed or otherwise, the same shall be administered by a parent, to the student requiring the medication. Where this is not possible, the following shall apply:
1. Individually prescribed medication will be administered by school nurses or other authorized personnel under the following conditions:
  1. Upon written request from the physician to the school officials that medication be administered to the student. Included in this request must be the name of the medication, dosage, frequency of administration, the period of time over which medication is to be administered.
  2. Signed written request from the parent, guardian, or person standing in the place of a parent that medication be administered as prescribed in the physician’s statement.
  3. All medication must be in appropriate containers which are properly labeled by the physician or pharmacy.
  4. All medication shall be removed from the school premises at the end of each school day.
D. Non-prescriptive drugs and medication may be administered by school nurses or other authorized personnel only after the following conditions are met:
1. Receipt of written request or authorization from parent, guardian, or person standing in place of a parent.
2. Included within the request must be the name of the student, name of the medication, dosage, frequency of administration, and period of time over which medication is to be administered.
3. All medication must be in an appropriate container which is properly labeled.
4. All medication shall be removed from the school premises at the end of each school day.
Any medication to be administered during the school day will immediately be taken to the nurses’s office (or other area specified by the Principal) when the student enters the school. Students will not be permitted to carry pills or any medication during school hours.
Necessary storage areas are available to store medication during the school day.
The use, possession (other than in conformity with this policy), sale or distribution of medication on school property by students or to students is forbidden and is a violation of this policy.
This policy will not preclude the administration by authorized school personnel of medications approved by the school physician for administration in appropriate situations.
Violation of this policy and the regulations promulgated hereunder shall, in the discretion of the administration and the School Board, result in the same disciplinary measures being invoked against the offending student as would be invoked against one violating policy and regulations relating to drugs and alcohol, and may accordingly result in suspension and/or expulsion from school.
The administration shall be charged with the responsibility of designating authorized school personnel to administer this policy.
This policy shall be subject to ongoing re-analysis, from time to time, in order to deal with future problems as they develop.
The School District has implemented a Student Assistance Program in order to assess and possible refer students with drug, alcohol, medication or mental health problems. Students will be referred to Student Assistance Teams for assessment and intervention recommendations. Students may be directed to undergo counseling, rehabilitation or therapy as a condition for returning or remaining in school. Students who violate the Drug and Alcohol Policy are required to cooperate with assessment personnel and attend a drug and alcohol/medication education program or participate in appropriate group activities for each violation of the District’s Policies.