JGCD - Medication (clean final)

FINAL CLEAN VERSION OF REVISED POLICY

Board Policy JGCD: Medication
Original Adopted Date 01/01/1990
Last Revised Date: 06/13/2011
Last Reviewed Date: 06/13/2011



Medicafion

The health of a child is an important factor in the learning process. Cooperafion among the health department, the
private medical sector, the home, and the school is essenfial. In general, the administrafion of medicafion to students
while in the schools is to be avoided. Treatment schedules which allow doses to be given at fimes other than during
school hours are preferred and encouraged. Upon direcfion by a student’s physician, however, a parent or guardian may
request that medicafion be administered to a student during school hours. When cerfified health personnel are
unavailable, the principal must arrange for the administrafion of the medicafion(s) according to the physician’s wriften
direcfive. The principal, with the advice of DeKalb County Schools Student Health Services, will be responsible for the
establishment of a safe method of storage for medicafion(s).

The term “medicafion” shall mean all legal substances including but not limited to prescripfion drugs, over-the-counter
drugs, inhalants, pills, tablets, capsules, liquids, “natural remedies,” herbs, vitamins, dietary supplements, homeopathic
medicines, and all other legal drugs. Any student required to take medicafion while at school will follow the procedures
of this policy and the accompanying regulafion, JGCD-R, as well as any procedures designated by the relevant school
administrator.

Medicafions must be administered by the appropriate personnel, and students generally are prohibited from carrying
and self-administering medicafions. In accordance with state law, however, a student may carry asthma medicafion,
auto-injectable epinephrine, and insulin upon wriften authorizafion by the student’s physician and wriften consent of the
student’s parent or guardian. Students carrying auto-injectable epinephrine or insulin shall be instructed in the proper
use of such medicafion and must cerfify that they will not allow other students to use such medicafion under any
circumstances, subject to revocafion of the privilege to carry such medicafion. Except in the case of willful or wanton
misconduct, neither the District nor any of its agents or employees shall incur any liability for injury to a student caused
by the student’s self-administrafion of asthma medicafion or auto-injectable epinephrine

Also, in accordance with state law, school personnel shall be authorized to administer albuterol/levalbuterol, auto-
injectable epinephrine and Narcan when it is available, to a student upon the occurrence of an actual or
perceived breathing emergency, anaphylacfic adverse reacfion or a perceived opioid overdose by a student,
whether or not such student has a prescripfion for albuterol/levalbuterol, epinephrine. or Narcan. Student Health
Services shall ensure that school personnel are given informafion on how to recognize the symptoms of breathing
emergencies, anaphylacfic shock, and a perceived opioid overdose. Student Health Services shall ensure that school
personnel are given informafion on how to correctly administer albuterol/levalbuterol, auto-injectable epinephrine
and Narcan. Except in the case of willful or wanton misconduct, no District or school personnel who in good faith
administers or chooses not to administer epinephrine to a student under this policy shall incur any civil liability for
any such act or omission.