Post by title1parent on May 6, 2009 5:12:38 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=291504&src=76
Dist. 203 reviews student meds policy
By Melissa Jenco | Daily Herald 5/6/2009
Naperville Unit District 203 is taking a closer look at its policy on dispensing over-the-counter medication to students.
The current policy follows state board of education recommendations, but some parents consider it too restrictive.
Currently, students must visit the nurse's office to get over-the-counter medication and must have the permission of both a physician and a parent. A student can have a doctor's note on file giving permission for medication needed regularly. Students who take medications they may need in an emergency situation may be given permission to carry them.
Administrators acknowledged it's a policy not all students follow.
"It's certainly widely believed and probably quite true that a lot of kids do have that (medicines) in their pockets or purses," Superintendent Alan Leis said.
The district's medical advisory committee is examining three options for future consideration.
The first would be to maintain the current policy. Another would be to let students with minor conditions get one dose of Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen from the nurse's office with verbal parental permission only. Additional doses would require written permission from a parent and physician.
The third option is to allow high school students to carry one dose of an over-the-counter medication.
Leis is recommending the district keep the current policy but lessen the discipline category it falls into so that administrators have more leeway in disciplining students who are caught with medicine.
"These are good kids and we want them to be independent, but we need to ... know what's going into their bodies and we prefer medicine to be here than know they're walking around the building (with it)," he said.
Ellen Wolff, supervisor of health services, said keeping medication in the nurses' offices allows them to monitor what and how much students are taking, lessens the likelihood of an allergic reaction and helps prevent students from sharing medicine.
Board President Mike Jaensch said he is OK with keeping medicine in the nurse's office as long as it is easy to access.
"If it's relatively easy to get with parents permission that takes away some of the need for kids that probably wouldn't carry it if they know (they) can get it downstairs anytime they need it," he said.
But board member Dave Weeks wondered whether it is realistic to expect students not to carry medication and how often such policies are actually enforced.
"I fall on the side of small government, and I'm not sure that the school board's job is to parent these kids," he said. "If a parent wants to let their kid carry aspirin I'm not sure we should say they can't."
The board will continue to discuss the issue on May 18.
Dist. 203 reviews student meds policy
By Melissa Jenco | Daily Herald 5/6/2009
Naperville Unit District 203 is taking a closer look at its policy on dispensing over-the-counter medication to students.
The current policy follows state board of education recommendations, but some parents consider it too restrictive.
Currently, students must visit the nurse's office to get over-the-counter medication and must have the permission of both a physician and a parent. A student can have a doctor's note on file giving permission for medication needed regularly. Students who take medications they may need in an emergency situation may be given permission to carry them.
Administrators acknowledged it's a policy not all students follow.
"It's certainly widely believed and probably quite true that a lot of kids do have that (medicines) in their pockets or purses," Superintendent Alan Leis said.
The district's medical advisory committee is examining three options for future consideration.
The first would be to maintain the current policy. Another would be to let students with minor conditions get one dose of Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen from the nurse's office with verbal parental permission only. Additional doses would require written permission from a parent and physician.
The third option is to allow high school students to carry one dose of an over-the-counter medication.
Leis is recommending the district keep the current policy but lessen the discipline category it falls into so that administrators have more leeway in disciplining students who are caught with medicine.
"These are good kids and we want them to be independent, but we need to ... know what's going into their bodies and we prefer medicine to be here than know they're walking around the building (with it)," he said.
Ellen Wolff, supervisor of health services, said keeping medication in the nurses' offices allows them to monitor what and how much students are taking, lessens the likelihood of an allergic reaction and helps prevent students from sharing medicine.
Board President Mike Jaensch said he is OK with keeping medicine in the nurse's office as long as it is easy to access.
"If it's relatively easy to get with parents permission that takes away some of the need for kids that probably wouldn't carry it if they know (they) can get it downstairs anytime they need it," he said.
But board member Dave Weeks wondered whether it is realistic to expect students not to carry medication and how often such policies are actually enforced.
"I fall on the side of small government, and I'm not sure that the school board's job is to parent these kids," he said. "If a parent wants to let their kid carry aspirin I'm not sure we should say they can't."
The board will continue to discuss the issue on May 18.