camp meds

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Hi Everyone,

What does your camp do for medication administration? Has anyone ever had "camp meds" pre package their campers medications (or the parents are supposed to do it)? It looks like a great service and I would hope my camp moves in that direction.

Just curious on other nurses input.

Thanks!

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Specializes in School Nurse.

I love this service. Passing meds is easier and safer than having to put each pill in an envelope or having to open the bottle and risk the pill rolling off. They have great customer service as well. The director would have to make it mandatory and after paying upwards of $13,000 for the summer I can see why the parents would balk. The company can even come out during parent's day to show the benefits.

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

I can't praise camp meds as a concept or a service enough! They are awesome! The drugs arrive on time and correct, if not they fix it. We have tried another packaging pharmacy and it was a disaster, they just didn't understand our needs.

The concept of individual packaging is great for the camp thati worked at, 675 campers with about 150 meds every morning. It also works well for us because of all the off camp trips we do. When we pull meds for the tripping staff we just pull the camp meds and divide them by day!

Compliance is an issue. We make exceptions to camp meds for Epi pens and inhailers as well as some other case by case exceptions but as a rule if it can come through camp meds and didn't we WILL NOT give it.

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I haven't had experience with camp meds, the camp I work for uses Mountain Meds. Mountain Meds is fantastic. The parents are required to enroll their campers with Mountain Meds which means getting prescriptions from doctors ahead of time and getting them into Mountain Meds. The pharmacists at Mountain Meds were FANTASTIC! Medications were sent to the camp within the week of camp starting in little boxes with copies of orders shrunk down to size and taped to the box. We also received copies of MARS and orders. Each camper had all of their meds pre-packaged into clear labeled tear off envelopes for each day/dose.

The only issue we noticed was that if the doctor prescribed the medication in the morning but the camper/parents later decide to take it in the evening... The first week was crazy figuring out when kids took what but otherwise they were wonderful. Of course there are parents that sneak meds into their campers bags. Luckily, our director sent those meds to Mountain Meds and had them packaged up to make it easier for the nurses. There were approx. 450 campers at camp.

Hope this helps!

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Another vote for Camp Meds! Awesome, efficient, safe and great customer service!

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

Units retain the medications and adult leaders administer medications to their scouts, just like on any other campout. We just have them record the administration and turn in the paperwork at the end of the week to keep the state inspector happy. Yay for Boy Scouts.

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Specializes in School health, Maternal-Newborn.

Strictly speaking as a parent, it appeared to be a PITA to set up. Instead I had the Rx and the order for an OTC vitamin sent to a local pharmacy that carded them up for $1 a card. I got to see the cards and hand carried copies of the orders so that I knew they had all they needed. However I might be an outlier as a parent. I'd imagine most parents aren't this organized.

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