By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Some of the actions the Juab School District Board is required to take by the state legislature are complicated.
One dealing with health requirements and services: medical treatment, had enough concern for board members that Kasey Wright, Juab School District Attorney, was asked to review the policy and offer legal insight.
“The school in which a minor student is enrolled may consent to medical treatment of that student provided: The person having the power to consent as otherwise provided by law cannot be contacted; and actual notice to the contrary has not been given by that person,” reads the opening paragraph of the policy.
The district policy does require a parent or guardian to put that consent in writing. It must be signed by the school official giving consent and be given to a doctor, hospital or other medical facility that administers the treatment.
“Your policy does not allow students to self-carry or self-administer medication on school premises unless it has been authorized or is expressly ordered by the student’s physician because of potential life-threatening circumstances,” said Wright.
Those would include asthma medication, diabetes medication, glucagon and epinephrine.
“Some districts allow students to have Tylenol, ibuprofen, and similar medication,” he said. “The more involved you get, the more exposure you have.”
Sometimes kids in sports thought they needed an over-the-counter pain killer.
“Kids can’t get anything from the coach,” said Dr. Royd Darrington, Assistant Superintendent. “So kids bring their own and hand it out to each other.”
The school was still policing the practice, said Darrington, but it was an uphill battle.
Linda Hanks, board president, said that her concern with self-carry medications was because of drug misuse. It would be difficult to tell what a student was sharing.
“That is why it is important to have a health plan,” said Dr. Rick Robins, superintendent.
“If we are aware of the problem and do nothing, we are running a risk,” said Wright.
Wright said that having the parent provide a signed letter giving permission for treatment was the safest way for the district to prevent problems although some other districts were a bit more loose.
Medication may be administered to a student if the district has written and signed consent, the student’s physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant has provided a signed statement describing the method, amount and time schedule for the time the student is in control of the school.
With parental written and signed permission, oral, topical and inhalant medication may be administered by assigned school personnel. Except in an emergency, medications requiring other routes of administration must be administered by a registered nurse.
The one exception is glucagon. This would be given for a diabetic.
New to the policy is the stipulation that a person who has received glucagon administration training may administer at a school or school activity if the student is exhibiting symptoms and a licensed health care professional is not immediately available.
“The student must have authorization that will include a singed statement from the parent or guardian that the student with diabetes needs the medication,” said Wright.
It must also be certified that the student needs the medication and that interested personnel receive training.
Another problem with over-the-counter medications, said Wright, was that, unless the district had parental permission to administer it, there could be problems.
If the district kept, for example, a bottle of something like aspirin in the office, what would happen if the bottle was bad? asked Wright. If the parent/guardian had provided the medication, it would be on them and not on the district.
“When a person volunteers, and is trained, to administer diabetic or other medication, they must be just that, ‘volunteers,’ which means they cannot be forced, they need to volunteer,” said Wright.
Darrington asked about special needs teachers who are called upon to administer medications to those in their care. Those students cannot self-apply. They need help.
Those students have plans that are in place, said Wright. Special needs students have plans and special needs teachers are trained so that takes away the concern.
There was also an entirely new section to the policy which was concerned with the administration of seizure rescue medication.
The student would have a Section 504 accommodation plan that would outline the student’s care and is given by a medical professional and is set out in a student’s rescue authorization while a student is experiencing seizure activity.
The plan does not authorize the use of medication given intravenously or intramuscularly.
“I will come back with a draft next month and will fill in some of the holes in the policy,” said Wright. “I will address self-administration and self-care.” | 