The policy of the Health Office at Bullis is to always make the safety and well-being of the student our top priority. Before administering any prescription or over-the-counter medication, the School Health office will require a Medication Authorization Form available on this website. A Medication Authorization Administration form is not required for the following mediations:
Ibuprofen (200-400 mg), Acetaminophen (325-650 mg),
Loratidine (Claritin) (10 mg), Benadryl/Diphenhydramine (12.5 mg to 50 mg),
Tums, Cough Lozenges, Bacitracin Ointment, Benadryl Cream, Calamine Lotion, and
Medicaine swabs as these are listed on the Physician Examination form and
authorized at the time of the physical exam.
Maryland State Law and Maryland Board of Nursing do not allow the school nurse to administer any medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter (this includes eye drops), without Physiciation Authorization. If you bring a medication to school for your child, whether it is one or multiple times and it is not accompanied by a Medication Authorization Form, the School Nurse or her designee will not be able to administer it to your child; you must do so.
All prescription medication to be administered at school for Lower, Middle and Upper Schools will be stored and administered by the school nurse. In the absence of the nurse, an appropriate person will be designated by the school to distribute medication as needed. Exceptions are outlined below.
All medication to be administered at school must be brought in the original prescription container. This includes ADD/ADHD medication the Upper School students are allowed to carry. If requested, most pharmacies will provide you with an empty labeled second bottle for this purpose. Medications should be brought to school by the parent or responsible adult and taken to the Health Office. The original prescription container must be labeled with the following information: name of student, name of medication, dosage of medication, frequency of administration, route of administration, name of physician ordering medication, date of prescription and expiration date. Please do not send pills in baggies, etc.
If you bring a one-time dose of prescription medication or over-the-counter medication for the nurse to administer to your child because they forgot to take the medication at home, it too must be brought in the original container and a Medication Authorization Administration form for that medication must be on file. The nurse or her designee will not administer any medication not brought in this way.
If the medication is to be given on a daily basis by the school nurse, the parent or guardian should provide a 30-day supply of the medication and adequate refills on a timely basis. All medication is kept in a locked cabinet at all times. If not retrieved by a parent or responsible adult, all medication will be disposed of one week after the expiration date or one week after the end of the school year, whichever comes first. Over-the-counter medications will be administered by the nurse with physician and parental authorization indicated on the Physician Examination Form/Student Information Sheet or a Medication Authorization Administration form. A record will be maintained every time a medication is given by the school nurse. This record includes the student’s name, date, time of administration and dosage.
The first exception to this policy is asthma inhalers, Epipens and
medications related to diabetes. These may be carried by students if a
physician has ordered their use on the Physician Examination Form or
other appropriate documentation and has stated that the student is
capable of self-administration. It is strongly suggested that an extra
inhaler or Epipen be kept in the Health Room for back up. The second
exception to this policy is the daily dose of ADD/ADHD medication Upper
School students will be allowed to carry with physician and parental authorization.
If there are any changes in prescription medications given to the
student whether at home or at school, please have the physician
complete the Medication Authorization Form. This, as with all
other forms, should be given to the school nurse and kept on file in
the Health Room. The first dose of any new medication must be given at
home and an order must be renewed annually.
A
school-sponsored field trip is defined as any time students leave the Bullis
School to go to another location under the care of the Bullis School faculty
and/or staff. The purpose of this
policy is to keep students safe if medication is required while off school
grounds, following the medications requirements from the Maryland State
Department of Education, School Health Services, and Bullis School Medication
Administration Procedures.
Guidelines
- Medication should be administered to students on school-sponsored field trips only when absolutely necessary.
- A completed medication order form must accompany all medications (excludingthe Over-the-Counter medications listed on the student’s Physician ExaminationForm).
- Medication orders on file in the health office may address the requirements of extended/overnight field trip.
- If medication is required for administration before or after regular school hours, the parent/guardian must provide a separate medication order andenough medication in a properly labeled prescription or original OTC containerfor the duration of the trip.
- This order can be completed by the physician and turned in at the beginning of the school year and kept on file until needed.
- Only students authorized to self-administer medication, as noted on their physical exam form or medication order, can self-administer and carry on schoolsponsored field trips.
- If a student is authorized to carry their mid-day dose of ADD/ADHD medication, they may do so for a day trip but not an overnight trip.
- All medications must be in a labeled original container (in prescription bottle or package from the store) with a current use date.
- Parent/guardians can only administer medication on school-sponsored field tripsto their own child.
- The School Nurse does not go on field trips but remains at school to address the health needs of the majority of the students.
- If injections, nebulizer treatments, or other nursing tasks are required during a school-sponsored trip, the School Nurse will assess the student’s ability to independently care for themselves and a family member or designee may be required to accompany the student.
Procedure for School-Sponsored Field Trip During the School Day
- Medications and their orders normally stored in the health room will be sent on the field trip.
- Medications and their orders will be returned to the health room at the end of thefield trip.
- Over-the-counter medications listed on the Physician Examination Form will be available to the students on the field trip but will only be administered according to the needs outlined on the form.
a. If a student needs any over-the-counter medications, the faculty/staff member on the trip will contact the School Nurse for the appropriate dosage.
Procedure for Extended/Overnight School-Sponsored Field Trip
- One week prior to the trip, an adult must deliver medication to the School Nurse to be checked in. Unless authorized, it is against school policy for students to carry medication.
a. send only the amount of medication that your student will need for the trip.
b. a copy of the doctor’s order must be with the medication
c. bring the medication in its original container (in labeled prescription bottle or package from the store)
No medication will be accepted if not in the original container.
d. place container in Ziploc bag with your student’s name and grade clearly labeled in permanent marker.
- Make sure the student knows when they are to take their medication. Medications are administered by teacher chaperones unless authorized for self-administration (Epi-pens and inhalers only on extended/overnight trips).
- No student may self-administer medication unless authorized by the physician, parent and nurse, as indicated on the Bullis School Medication Administration Authorization Form.
- Any unused medication will be returned to a parent or adult picking up their student following the school trip.
Prior to the start of school, new students must submit a Maryland immunization certificate and a Bullis Physician Examination Form completed by their doctor. Students are expected to be in compliance with the Maryland immunization schedule. The school is required to exclude children from school who are out of compliance with the state immunization schedule.
The risk of transmitting blood borne pathogens, including Hepatitis B and C, HIV or AIDS is extremely low in school settings when standard precautions to prevent disease transmission are followed. Standard precautions dictate that all blood and body fluids be handled as though they are infectious.
The parent(s) or guardian(s) of a student with a communicable disease or infestation should notify the school as soon as they have knowledge of their child’s diagnosis. School guidelines for exclusion due to a communicable disease will follow recommendations from local, state and federal agencies that address communicable disease standards. The determination regarding the conditions under which a child may or may not attend school will be made on a case-by-case basis by the school nurse with advice from one or more of the following: the head of school, school administrators (as selected by the head of school), parent(s) or guardian(s), treating physician and public health officials. The number of school personnel informed of the student’s condition will be limited by the head of school to those essential in ensuring the proper care of the child and in protecting against transmission of the disease.