Medication Policies
ILLNESS/MEDICATIONS
A child who is ill is routinely sent to the Health Room. The school nurse or school health technician will assess the child, contact the parent or guardian, and send the child home if necessary. Any child with an elevated temperature of 100 degrees or above is sent home. School policy states that your child must be free from fever for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.
It is likely that sometime during the school year your child will have a medication prescribed for the treatment of a health problem. As a general policy, the school recommends that children receive medication at home whenever possible. In the event your physician decides your child needs to receive medication during the school day, certain procedures must be followed.
MEDICATION POLICY
In the event that your physician decides that your child needs to receive medication at school during the school day, MCPS Form 525-13, Authorization to Administer Prescribed Medication, must be completed and on file. Forms are available in the School Office and in the Health Room.
If you do not have access to the proper form, a written order on the physician's stationery or prescription pad is acceptable, provided it includes the following information:
•Your child's name
•Name of medication being ordered
•Dosage
•Time of administration
•Possible side effects
The first full day's dosage of any new prescription must be administered at home. Medication must be brought to the school by the parent or guardian. Under no circumstances will medication be given which is brought to school by a student. Medication must be properly labelled by a pharmacist. Over-the-counter medication, e.g., aspirin, must also be prescribed by a physician as noted above and brought to the school by the parent or guardian in the original unopened container with the dosage labelled by the manufacturer. For more information contact our School Nurse directly, or the school health technician, at (301) 989-5668.