Stock Epinephrine

[chasinRT]

We are in the process of setting up our stock epi policy. Our state law says that a lay person can administer epi to student/staff/visitor with signs of anaphylaxis if they voluntarily become trained in signs/symptoms and demonstrate knowledge of how to use the epipen. I am not sure I like the idea of delegating responsibility for "diagnosing" probable anaphylaxis in someone who has not been diagnosed by a doctor. I'm fine with them recognizing symptoms in someone who has been previously diagnosed ie they have an epipen but not with them. Your thoughts?

[fetch, BSN, RN]

Um, pts with food allergies (and their parents) are lay people who aren't trained to know what anaphylaxis is but use EpiPens when needed. I'd rather have a lay person administer an epipen than a stock bottle that had to be drawn up and injected. Most states are a right to carry state.

"Stock epinephrine" in this case should be referring to EpiPens. As far as I know, there are ZERO states that have stock bottles. But most are moving toward having stock epinephrine in the form of two to four EpiPens (and/or EpiPen JRs) in the school.

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

This same kind of law passed in CA and will take effect in Jan 2015. We are scrambling . . . . no doc wants to write the Rx for us. They didn't consider that when they wrote the law although other states did.

Ugh yes that law...I understand what California was thinking, but no one was thinking! No law there has to be School Nurses (or rations), but lets have ALL schools have Epi-pens. Let them find their own physicians and lets figure out the training on their own. Sheesh.

OP: The NASN has great resources for training School Staff and like others said, as long as you have given appropriate training and check the Staff off, they are responsible. Also, what State are you in? In my State, CA, "volunteers" are found by sending an email to all Staff in the school and volunteers can come forward. Admin cannot make unlicensed Staff volunteer. If no one takes the bait then the Principals and Vice Principals must be the ones to do the training.

NASN | Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis