Camp work medication orders.

[peacockblue]

I'm going to post this in both the school nurse page and the camp nurse page because I know many of my school nurse colleagues work at camps in the summer. I work as a volunteer nurse at a small (50 campers) church camp. My concern is giving medication without a physician order. The camp director thinks parent permission and a prescription bottle are sufficient but I feel I should have an order. Can anyone point me to a document stating this. I am from Pennsylvania. I don't want to be nit picky, but I also don't want to jeopardize my license. Thanks.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

Yea. I get what your saying. Most camps I have been to require a physicians order for all medications and parental permission for OTCs. This is generally accomplished by the physician noting routine medications and directions for said medication on the physical form that they sign. Barring that we have taken scrips, and copies of scripts. This is problematic for places using e prescription. Personally I have the opinion that a pharmacy label is really good proof of an order existing m, especially if they were filled within 30 days but if everyone is jumping though all these hoops to get genuine physical orders there must be a leagal reason for it.

[LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN]

I'm from Pennsylvania - you need the MD order, prescription on the bottle is not good enough. (I work in a school year-round and have worked in Public Health for years.)

Also, I have caught the error of a parent dropping off the WRONG medications, which without the MD order, I would have given. Signed parent permission, dropped off medication, said the MD would fax the order to me, which they did. The order was for something like 5mg but the parent had dropped off the old 10mg order the kid hadn't been on in months d/t side effects, they just held onto the bottle in their med cabinet. Having the MD order is definitely a CYA importance, even if not required by the state a person is in.

I'll try to remember to find the information later to cite for you, but I worked for different companies who before I arrived had changed their policies due to legislation.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

I would love it if you could hunt down the regulation here in pa. I can't make out a logt of camp regulation. Lots of stuff on residential facilities that doesn't apply because three camps aren't in business long enough. But I'm reluctant to assume camp regs are school regs because if that's the case then no one is complying with the law.

[peacockblue]

Alex Egan, I have been searching for camp regs in PA. No luck yet. I did email the board of nursing but I'm not sure if they will answer. If I find anything out, I will let you know.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

The board of nursing in pa is a total disaster right now because of the licensing software switch over. I've been looking for years. I think that the need for a physicians order is more of a standard of care than a law. Summmer camps do a very good job in PA if being unregulated especially compared to NY

[LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN]

Went on a deep-dive, and now I'm wondering if I was just thinking of my camp's written medication policies. I'm super sorry for the confusion - but while looking I came across this from the ACA, which I really like, although doesn't answer this question directly:

Medication at Camp: Mitigating the Risks | American Camp Association

[JayceT76]

Yes I am looking for something specific to Oregon but along these same lines:) Anyone in Oregon???