Medication should be administered to a student at home rather than at school whenever possible
to limit the amount of disruption to the student’s day.
Medication may be administered by school personnel authorized in writing by the building
principal, in accordance with state law and established procedures. Designated school personnel
have the right to refuse to administer medication to a student when the parent/guardian has not
complied with established requirements. No school personnel, except the School Nurse, shall be
required to administer any medication to a student by any means other than ingestion. School
personnel voluntarily accepting the responsibility of administering medication by any means
other than ingesting (including inhalation, insertion into the eye, ear and/or nose, injections,
rectally or by g-tube) shall be provided appropriate instruction from the School Nurse. These
nursing procedures must be delegated to school personnel under the general direction of a
registered nurse, pursuant to state law and regulations.
No medication may be administered by school personnel without the following
instructions/consent being on file at the school:
1. Written instructions from the student’s practitioner and written permission from the
student’s parent/guardian must be on file before prescription medication may be
administered by authorized school personnel.
2. Written instructions and written permission from the student’s parent/guardian must be on
file before non-prescription medication (over-the-counter medication) may be administered
by authorized school personnel.
A student may possess and self-administer an inhaler while in school, at a school-sponsored
activity or under the supervision of a school authority if both of the following conditions are true:
1. The student uses the inhaler before exercise to prevent the onset of asthmatic symptoms
or uses the inhaler to alleviate asthmatic symptoms; and
2. The student has provided the building principal with written approval of the student’s
physician and, if the student is a minor, the written approval of the student’s
parent/guardian.
Possession and Self-Administration of Medication
In addition to possessing and self-administering an inhaler as specified above, middle and high
school students may possess and self-administer non-prescription medication or certain
prescription medication. All controlled substances such as Ritalin, Dexedrine and Adderall must
be stored and administered by school personnel. Such a student shall carry a small amount of the
medication and must not share the medication with other students. Parents/guardians should
provide written permission for their child to carry and self-administer a medication at school.
A student’s ability to manage his/her own medication may be evaluated by building staff after
consultation with the School Nurse. The parent/guardian may be asked to reconsider the
appropriateness of the student administering his/her own medication without supervision.
