How safe is your child from medication mix-ups during school hours?
Thousands of children receive allergy medications, ADHD medications, asthma treatments, or insulin injections at schools every day, and many schools have insufficient staff to handle the amount of daily medication that children need. Schools often have staff administering these medications to children.
Teachers, secretaries often administer medications to children
Some schools have unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to administer medications. This means that staff members including gym teachers, secretaries or principals can be administering prescriptions to your child.
If medication errors happen every day to licensed pharmacists, what are the chances that an unlicensed and untrained individual can make an error in giving your child medication? The truth is that these errors do happen and sometimes they lead to tragic consequences.
School nurse survey reveals that UAP personnel a common thread in medication errors
A University of Iowa survey of school nurses revealed that school medication errors are three times more likely when medication is administered by UAP staff.
Medication errors included giving medications to the wrong child, administering the wrong medication. or administering medications incorrectly. The study showed that 75 percent of these medications were administered by UAP school staff.
As school budget cuts are felt nationwide, many schools increasingly rely on UAP staff.
4 tips to keep your child safe from medication mistakes at school
If possible, administer medications to your child yourself instead of sending them to the school.
Talk with your child’s pediatrician about alternate methods for your child’s medication.
Write out instructions for your child’s medication and discuss them with staff.
If possible, instruct your child about the proper color, use or administration of their medication.
Thousands of children receive allergy medications, ADHD medications, asthma treatments, or insulin injections at schools every day, and many schools have insufficient staff to handle the amount of daily medication that children need. Schools often have staff administering these medications to children.