Health, Medication & Immunization Policy Information

Guidelines for Medication Administration

All medication is to be brought to school by the parent/guardian in a properly labeled container from the pharmacy and/or the original unopened, over-the-counter packaging. Expired medications will NOT be accepted. You may ask the pharmacist to label two containers: one for school and one for home. Medications will not be sent home with students daily.

Medications will NOT be crushed without a licensed healthcare provider order. Parent/guardian is required to provide student specific pill crusher. If a medication needs to be cut in half, it will be done by the parent/guardian NOT the health assistant or nurse.

Any medications that the district/school nurse feels are unsafe will not be administered until licensed healthcare provider clarification is obtained. School nurses must follow all State Scope of Practice regulations.

Students will NOT be allowed to carry or administer their own medication except with special written

permission from the parent/guardian, licensed healthcare provider, building administrator/principal, and school/district nurse. This includes prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and natural/herbal supplements. No controlled substances will be allowed for self-carry for the safety of all students.

The parent/guardian is responsible for picking up the child’s medication at the end of the school year. Any medication left over will be discarded on the last day of class. No Exceptions.

Parent/guardian is responsible for providing medications for overnight and extended day field trips with all appropriate paperwork.

Prescription Medication

• Prescription medication must be prescribed by your child’s Arizona licensed healthcare provider and filled by a licensed pharmacy. The prescribing provider on the consent must match the medication label from the pharmacy (exceptions may be made for providers in the same medical practice).
   
• Medication prescribed by out-of-state healthcare providers can be administered for up to 60 days. After 60 days, the prescription must be replaced by a provider licensed in the State of Arizona. No Prescriptions from outside of the United States will be accepted.
   
• Medications prescribed to be taken one (1) two (2) and three (3) times a day are not routinely given at school. Exceptions may be made if the nurse discusses the need with the licensed healthcare provider and they find this is necessary.
   
• A Consent for Medication Administration form must be filled out and signed by the child’s licensed healthcare provider, and the parent/guardian, for prescription medication to be given.
   
• A new Consent for Medication Administration form must be completed and signed by the child’s licensed healthcare provider for any changes to prescription medication (dosage, timing, etc.), including each new school year.
   
• The student is responsible for coming to the health office or to the designated person to take the medication.
   
• Narcotic pain medication, CBD oil and medical marijuana will not be given in the general education setting at school for the safety of all students. (ARS§15-108)

Over-the-Counter Medication

• All non-prescription medications will be dispensed to students upon the completion of the Consent for Medication Administration form with parent/guardian signature. Medication will be given in accordance with package directions. Dosage must be weight and age appropriate per label (i.e. children specific formula).
   
• If medication is to be administered for three (3) consecutive days, a licensed healthcare provider order must be submitted to the school health office for continuing administration of the medication beyond the three (3) days to ensure that use of this medication is not masking symptoms of a serious condition in the student.
   
• In order to minimize the possibility of a drug overdose, non-prescribed medications will not be dispensed during the first and last hours of the school day.
   
• A new Consent for Medication Administration form is required for each school year.
   
• The health office does have a supply of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in pill form that we can give to your student if they will benefit from it and help keep them in school. For us to administer, the parent/guardian must give permission during the online registration process each school year. The frequent use of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to cause liver problems in both children and adults; therefore, we will use Acetaminophen (Tylenol) at our discretion. If we find we are administering Acetaminophen (Tylenol) on a recurrent basis, you may be contacted to provide a note from your doctor along with a supply of the medication for the health office.

Natural/Herbal Preparations and Dietary Supplements

Supplements are not regulated by the FDA. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the FDA treats supplements like food. Supplements can include minerals, vitamins or other natural biological substances, and they are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, including concentrates, extracts, capsules, tablets, liquids and powders. Because these are not regulated by the FDA, we have guidelines in place to ensure the safety of all students.

• All Natural, Herbal and Dietary supplements will be dispensed to students upon the completion and signature of the Consent for Medication Administration form by the parent/guardian.
   
• A new Consent for Medication Administration form is required for each school year.
   
• Supplement must be in original unopened container with all instructions intact on that container.
   
• If supplement is to be administered for more than three (3) consecutive days, a licensed healthcare provider’s order may be necessary.
   
• Supplements will not be given the first and last hour of the school day to avoid any possibility of overdose.
   
• Identification of the condition for which the product is being used is necessary. That includes all safety information, possible side effects, contraindications, and adverse reactions.

• Consent for Medication Administration  (English)
• Consentimiento para dar Medicamentos (Spanish)

Parent Information on Head Lice in the Community

Head lice can be a common problem in schools. To help you examine your children’s hair and scalps for the presence of lice and to prevent recurrence, the following information is offered.

Detection of Head Lice

Head scratching and intense itching usually accompany the presence of head lice.  The lice are tiny and vary in color from gray to black.  More likely, you will see eggs (nits), white oval specks tightly attached to the hair shaft about ¼ inch from the skin.  These are most likely present at the nape of the neck or behind the ears.

How does a Person get Head Lice?

Head lice do not jump or fly.  They are transmitted directly from one person to another, or by contact with articles that have come in contact with an infested person (combs, brushes, hats, scarves, bedding, and upholstery).  They cannot be carried by dogs, cats, or other animals

Are Lice more Prevalent in Certain Persons?

Not really.  Head lice are more prevalent in school-age children, particularly in lower grades.  It is not symptomatic of any lack of cleanliness or personal hygiene.

Control when Presence of Lice is Detected

1. Purchase over-the-counter medicated shampoos or obtain a prescription from your physician.  Stuffed animals, small pillows, etc. can be sealed in a plastic garbage bag for two weeks to rid them of lice.  Pregnant/nursing mothers should check with their provider before treating their families.
    
2. Follow the directions that accompany the shampoo exactly as is suggested.  Always put the shampoo on the hair while the hair is still dry.  Work it into the hair and leave it on the recommended maximum number of minutes.  Then wash it out promptly and wash with regular shampoo.  Comb through hair with a fine-tooth comb onto white paper and dispose of any combed-out lice into the toilet.
   
   The eggs (nits) stick to the shaft of the hair.  Since all nits are not killed by the shampoo, they must be removed by a fine comb or pulled off the hair shaft with your fingernails.  Using Step 2 or a rinse of half vinegar and half water will sometimes cause the nits to comb out more easily.  If your child has an unusually large number of nits, petroleum jelly can be rubbed into the hair and left on overnight.  Nits will comb out easier.
    
3. Repeat medication shampoo procedure in 7 – 10 days and again in another 20 days or as directed on the medicated shampoo box.  The life cycle of the insect is 30 days.  

DO NOT USE LICE SHAMPOO MORE OFTEN THAN DIRECTED, AS IT CAN BE HARMFUL WITH OVERUSE.

Cleaning All Other Items

1. Launder towels, bedclothes, and clothing in HOT soapy water, and dry on HOT dryer setting or out in the sun.  Knit hats, scarves, etc., can be washed by hand and thoroughly sunned.  (Washing clothes in the washing machine and drying in an automatic dryer is adequate.)
    
2. Wash combs and brushes, hair curlers, etc. with the medicated shampoo or in a solution of ammonia (1 tsp. Ammonia to 1 gallon of HOT water).
    
3. Press all surfaces of mattress ridges and around buttons with a steam iron on HOT setting.  Also, treat upholstered furniture that will tolerate it with a HOT iron.
    
4. Vacuum upholstered furniture and carpets thoroughly.  Shag rugs are likely sites for insects and eggs.  (A general house cleaning will usually get rid of live lice.)
    
5. Non-washable pillows, hair ribbons, etc. may be put in the clothes dryer on as hot a temperature as possible for 20 to 30 minutes.

NOTE:  Lice can live off the body and on surfaces for 2 – 3 days (e.g., carpet, mattresses, clothing, etc.), so thorough cleaning and washing is important.

Inspect your child’s hair regularly, as this can be a reoccurring problem.

• Lice Informational Handout

The district will provide appropriate educational opportunities for any student with a chronic health condition as defined in A.R.S. §15-346 and identified by a health care professional who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 13, 14, 17 or 25 or a registered nurse practitioner who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15.

Homework will be made available in a timely manner to ensure that such students have the opportunity to successfully complete assignments and avoid losing credit because of their absence from school.

Further, students with chronic health conditions shall be provided flexibility in physical education activity requirements so that they may participate in the regular physical education program to the extent that their health permits Staff members responsible for physical education activities programs shall develop and implement such guidelines as defined in A.R.S. §15-346.

The Superintendent shall develop regulations for meeting the requirements of this policy.