Introduction:

An Administration of Medication policy has been in existence in the school since 2005.

Rationale:

The policy as outlined was put in place to;

a) Safeguard school staff that are willing to administer medication

b) Ensure the strictest guidelines and controls are in place and that clear instructions are available to staff

c) Protect against possible litigation

Relationship to School Ethos:

The school promotes positive home-school contacts, not only in relation to the welfare of children, but in relation to all aspects of school life. This policy is in keeping with the school ethos through the provision of a safe, secure and caring school environment and the furthering of positive home-school links.

Aims of this Policy:

The aims and objectives of the policy can be summarised as follows;

· Minimise health risks to children and staff on the school premises

· Fulfill the duty of the BoM in relation to Health and Safety requirements

· Provide a framework within which medicines may be administered in cases of emergency or in instances where regularised administration has been agreed with parents/guardians

In –School Procedures:

Parents are required to inform the school through the application form of any medical condition from which their child suffers. This information is updated every September. If a medical condition develops during the school year, the onus is on the parents to inform the school. No teacher is obliged to administer medicine or drugs to a pupil and any teacher willing to do so works under the controlled guidelines outlined below.

· Prescribed medicines will only be administered after parents of the pupil concerned have written to the BoM requesting the Board to authorise a member of the teaching staff to do so. Under no circumstance will non-prescribed medicines be either stored in the school or be administered by school staff. The Board will seek indemnity from parents in respect of any liability arising from the administration of medicines. A letter from a medical practitioner outlining condition/ treatment etc. must also be provided.

· A teacher may not administer medication without the specific authorization of the Board. The Board of Management will inform the school’s insurers accordingly. Arrangements must be made by the Board for the safe storage of medication. Medication will be stored in a special press/fridge in the staffroom. Only authorized personnel will have access to this

· Administration of prescribed and un-prescribed drugs for a temporary illness must be done by a parent visiting the school. It is expected that this will entail no more than one visit per day. In the event of extra doses being necessary it is deemed that the child is unfit for school and should be kept at home. No drugs of this nature will be stored in the school.

· Where a child suffers from asthma and is in the need of an inhaler, self administration in the presence of a member of staff may take place. Where a child uses an inhaler on a regular basis, dosage should be arranged, in so far as possible to take place before and after school hours. In the event of a child needing to have access to an inhaler at all times, such an inhaler can be given to the class teacher for safe keeping during the day and returned to the child when going home. The responsibility for levels of use, dosage and administration rests with the child who needs to be trained to do this by the parents.

· Parents are responsible for the provision of medication and notification of change of dosage and expiry dates.

The following guidelines are in place for pupils with nut allergy or any type of allergy which may lead to anaphylactic reaction:

1. At the start of each school year parents of children in relevant class will be issued with a letter asking them to refrain from giving their children the allergy causing food in their lunch boxes.

2. Children will be instructed not to swap food, lunches etc.

3. Staff dealing with the pupil will be asked to refrain from eating allergy causing foods.

4. If going off site, medication must be carried by a teacher qualified to administer anapen. If this is not feasible a parent must accompany the child on off site visits.

In the event of pupils coming in contact with the offending food the following procedure will apply:

1. Administer prescribed antihistamine if required. It is important that the pupil will be kept calm to allow him to breathe calmly. If possible the child needs to drink as much water as possible.

2. Only in the event of anaphylactic shock should the pen be administered. The pen is stored in the medical press in the staffroom and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure the pen is in date. The following teachers are responsible for administering anapen: Mary O’Rourke, Siobhan McCabe, Patricia Cunniffe, Heather McCullagh and Ciara Fallon. A written record of the date and time of administration must be kept by the person administering it and stored in the pupil’s file.

3. Before or immediately after Pen has been administered an ambulance may be called.

Indicators of shock

Symptoms of shock can include wheezing, severe difficulty breathing and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.

School doctor: Monksland Medical Centre

Contact Number: 090 6492016

Care – Plan

For children suffering from diabetes, epilepsy or medical condition a care – plan will be drawn up in conjunction with staff member the relevant medical attention. This care-plan will be retained by the class teacher and any other responsible for administration of medicine. An extra copy will be retained in the office.

A list of children who may require medical attention is displayed in the staffroom, office and class teachers have a copy on file. These lists must not be displayed in public areas in order to comply with GDPR.

The following staff are responsible for administering anapen: Mary O’Rourke, Siobhan McCabe, Patricia Cunniffe, Heather Mc Cullagh and Ciara Fallon.

The following staff are responsible for administration of Epilepsy medication: Ciara Fallon, Siobhan McCabe and Caroline Ryan

The following staff are responsible for administration of Glucogel: Breege Murray & Caroline Ryan

Glucagen (hypokit): School staff will not administer this. If a child needs this medical attention parents/ambulance will be called.

Emergencies:

In the event of an emergency, teachers should do no more than is necessary and appropriate to relieve extreme distress or prevent further and otherwise irreparable harm. Qualified medical treatment should be secured in emergencies at the earliest opportunity.

Where no qualified medical treatment is available, and circumstances warrant immediate medical attention, an ambulance will be called without delay. Parents will be contacted simultaneously.

Children who are epileptics, diabetics etc. may have a seizure at any time and teachers must be made aware of symptoms in order to ensure that treatment may be given by appropriate persons.

Teachers who have volunteered and are authorized by BOM to administer medication in these emergencies must be fully informed and updated at regular intervals by parents on medications, conditions under which they are administered and symptoms which warrant treatment.

The school maintains an up to date register of contact details of all parents/guardians including emergency numbers. This is updated in September of each new school year.

First Aid Boxes:

A first aid box is kept in the staffroom containing anti-septic wipes, anti-septic bandages, sprays, steri-strips, cotton wool, scissors etc. A full medical kit is taken when children are engaged in out of school activities such as tours, football/hurling games and athletic activities.

General Recommendations:

We recommend that any child who shows signs of illness should be kept at home; requests from parents to keep their children in at lunch break are not encouraged. A child too sick to play with peers should not be in school.

Roles and Responsibilities:

There will be on going First Aid Training for all staff. The BOM has overall responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of the school policy on Administration of Medication. The Principal is the day to day manager of routines contained in the policy with the assistance of all staff members.

Success Criteria:

The effectiveness of the school policy in its present form is measured by the following criteria;

· Compliance with Health and Safety legislation

· Maintaining a safe and caring environment for children

· Positive feedback from parents/teachers

· Ensuring the primary responsibility for administering remains with parents/guardians

Ratification and Review:

This policy was presented to the B.O.M. for ratification in May 2018. It will be reviewed in the event of incidents or on the enrolment of child/children with significant medical conditions, but no later than 2021.

Implementation:

The policy has been implemented with immediate effect.

Signed: _____________ Date: _________

Chairman, Board of Management, Cloonakilla N.S.