Download Debdale Federation Medicines Policy March 2017

DEBDALE FEDERATION
MEDICINES POLICY
March 2017
DEBDALE FEDERATION
MEDICINES POLICY
There are many young children/young people who access special schools and
require medication during the school day. The aim of the protocol is to allow the
students to have support with the administration of their medication. The
medicine administration will be done by either a school nurse, health care
assistant (HCA) or a T.A. (Teaching Assistant) who is trained in medication
administration and dosing of medication.
There may be circumstances when this needs a member of school staff who
have also had medication training e.g. off site visits
Prescribed Medicines
Medicines should only be taken to school or settings when essential, that is
where it would be detrimental to a child’s health if the medicine were not
administered during the school day. All medication must be prescribed by a
doctor, dentist, nurse prescriber or pharmacist and include prescribers
instructions and correct name. Schools should never accept medicines that have
been taken out of the container as originally dispensed nor make changes to
increase the dose under parental direction - we can only decrease the
dose under parental direction.
Written consent must be sought from parents (home/school diary). However,
bottles must have the child’s name on and the dose to be given.
Medication containing paracetamol i.e. calpol, ibuprofen and aspirin will not be
administered in school without a prescription to any pupil.
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If pain relief of the above is needed, staff will request a HCA to administer
the medication, the time and the type of pain relief will be written on the
white board in the medical room and will require a double signature at all
times.
If a pupil/student has been prescribed antibiotic medication which needs to be
administered during the school day, we need written permission from
parents/carers either in the school diary or on a note which must be signed.
Protocol for the Administration of Medicines
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Parents/carers should tell the school about the medicines that their child needs
to take and provide details of any changes to the prescription or the support
required.
On a day to day basis in school it is the responsibility of the school nurse, HCA or
other staff who have the relevant medication training to check and administer
the correct medicine to the appropriate child.
There must always be two members of staff or school nurse to check the dosing
of medication.
The person that doses or checks the medication must be the person to
administer and at all times have received relevant medication training.
This responsibility also includes checking all regular medicine charts to ensure a
child is not due a medication.
All prescription charts in regular use must be checked to ensure that all
medication is given.
Medicine charts will be stored in a ring binder in alphabetical order and locked
away at the end of the day.
When checking medicines, the following checks must be made using the
prescription chart:
 Name of young person
 Name of medicine
 Date and time of dose
 Dosage strength/amount of medicine
 Route of administration
 Time of last dose (if applicable)
 Medicine has not been given
 Expiry date (date opened if applicable)
 Any special instructions
The child will be identified by either name, photograph of positive identification
by a member of staff familiar with the child. The child’s photograph should
accurately represent the child’s appearance. If the person who is administering
the medication is unsure of the child’s identity, then the medicine should not be
given to the child.
A consent form must be completed by parents/carers at the beginning of every
school year before any medicines can be given. This must state the medicine
name, dose and time to be given with a signature of the parent/carer. If a
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consent form has not been completed then verbal consent needs to be sought
initially and this should be recorded at all times. A consent form must be
completed before a second dose can be administered.
If changes occur during the school year, written confirmation and direction from
parent/carer will be accepted in the school diary. This must be recorded e.g.
photocopy and kept with the consent forms.
All consent forms must coincide with the prescription or advice from GP/
Consultant must be sought to confirm dose if a discrepancy occurs.
When the medicine has been administered, the child’s prescription chart should
be in initialled by the trained individual in black ink only.
Any medication not given for any reason i.e. spat out, vomited, refused etc.;
must be documented on the prescription chart and in the nursing records and
the home/school diary
Any ‘as required’ medicines should be documented with reason in the nursing
notes and the home/school diary
Medicines to be administered by school staff whilst on outings should be checked
and drawn up by the school nurse, HCA or staff who have had the relevant
medication training. The medicines will be labelled with the child’s name and
instructions for administration (time, route, dose) given.
Controlled Drugs
The supply, possession and administration of some medicines are controlled by
the misuse of drugs act and its associated regulations. Some may be prescribed
for use by children. Misuse of a controlled drug such as passing it to another
child for use is an offence
Schools should keep controlled drugs in a double locked non-portable cupboard
and only named staff should have access. A record should be kept for audit and
safety purposes in accordance with the nursing and midwifery council.
A controlled drug should be returned to the parent when no longer required to
arrange for safe disposal (by returning the unwanted supply to the local
pharmacy)
Management of Errors in the case of controlled drugs
As soon as an error has been identified:
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Incorrect dose
Out of date medication given
Wrong medicine given to wrong child
Stolen medication – inform Police immediately and child’s parent/guardian
 Seek advice from pharmacy – Kings mill Pharmacy 01623 622515 ext.
3166 or NHS Direct 0845 4647
 Refer to BNF (British National Formulary) http://www.bnf.org
 Monitor child for any ill effect of error
 Inform parents/carers
 Seek advice from GP or Paediatrician
 Document any advice received and the events
 Inform the Head Teacher
 Complete incident form
 Inform line manager
Receipt of Medicines in School
All incoming medication will be collected from class on a daily basis by a HCA, or
given to staff member who has access to the lockable medicines cupboard. The
medication will be checked and recorded on a whiteboard, if it needs returning
home and will be redistributed at the end of the day by a HCA or staff member
with access to the lockable medicines cupboard
All emergency medication will still be kept in the classroom in a locked
medication cabinet
Respite
Children who are coming from or going to respite will need to have their
overnight bags stored in the designated respite locked cupboard.
No medication should be removed from these bags.
Medicines should never be stored in the child’s school bag.
Management of Errors
As soon as an error has been identified:
 Incorrect dose
 Out of date medication given
 Wrong medicine given to wrong child
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 Seek advice from pharmacy – Kings mill Pharmacy 01623 622515 ext.
3166 or NHS Direct 0845 4647
 Refer to BNF (British National Formulary) http://www.bnf.org
 Monitor child for any ill effect of error
 Inform parents/carers
 Seek advice from GP or Paediatrician
 Document any advice received and the events
 Inform the Head Teacher
 Complete incident form
 Inform line manager
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Omission of Medicines
If a prescribed medicine is not administered this omission should be treated as
an error and the management of errors protocol should be followed
Omissions for any other reason (illness, vomiting, etc.) should be documented in
the nursing notes and prescription chart. Parents/carers should be informed.
Storage of Medicines
All medicines should be stored in the designated locked medicine cupboard or
locked refrigerator. These should be locked at all times. The keys for the locked
medicine cabinets will be kept in the school office unless they are being used.
Medicine expiry dates and stock levels should be checked regularly and further
supplies requested by formal letter or by home/school diary.
Any expired or unused medicines should be ideally returned to parents for safe
disposal.
Emergency Procedures
As part of general risk management processes all schools and setting should
have arrangements in place for dealing with emergency situations. All staff
should know how to call the emergency services. They should know who is
responsible for carrying out emergency procedures in the event of need. A
member of staff should always accompany a child taken to hospital by
ambulance and should stay until the parent/carer arrives.
Individual health care plans should include instructions on how to manage a child
in an emergency, and identify who has the responsibility in an emergency
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Educational Visits
It is good practice for the school to encourage children with medical needs to
participate in safely managed visits. School should consider what reasonable
adjustments they might make to enable children with medical needs to
participate fully and safely on visits. This should include risk assessments for
such children, additional staff may be needed to support a particular child.
Additional staff may be needed to support a particular child. Arrangements for
taken necessary medicines will also need to be taken into consideration. These
will need to be stored in a designated container or bag for safe keeping. Staff
supervision excursions should always be aware of any medical needs, and
relevant emergency procedures. A copy of health care plans should be taken on
visits in the event of information being needed in an emergency. These should
include contact telephone numbers. A mobile phone should always be available
in case of emergency. There should always be a member of staff who is trained
in first aid.
A risk assessment should always be carried out prior to any visit. Administering
medication given orally (by mouth) on a visit will be the responsibility of staff
who have had the relevant medication training. Medication will be dispensed by
two trained members of staff, HCA or staff who are trained in administration and
dosing of medication. The medication will be dispensed by the school nurse into
a clearly labelled container with a medication form stating the dose and time to
be given. Once the medication has been given a drug administration form must
be signed by the person who has administered the medication.
Giving tube feeds through a gastrostomy button will be carried out by a
HCA/T.A. who has had the relevant training and will need to be supervised by
the school nurse until fully competent. Medication to be given through the tube
will be administered by the school nurse, HCA/T.A.
Extended Services
Pupils who attend extended services and have emergency medication prescribed
and are based at Yeoman Park School will keep their medication in their class.
Extended services staff will need to know where the class locked medicine
cupboards and keys are kept in the event of an emergency. Pupils who attend
Great Escape from the Manor sit and need emergency medication will need to
bring their medicines down to the session they are attending and store in the
designated locked medicine cupboard in the community room
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