Cough Drops

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Hello fellow school nurses! I am a brand new school nurse and new grad. I just started at my high school Jan 2 after the break. I have tons of questions but here's the one about cough drops. I am allowed to give "unmedicated" cough drops but I am having trouble finding these to stock. The previous nurse had a stock full of assorted OTC Halls, Ricola, Ludens, etc but they do not seem "unmedicated" to me. They have active ingredients including pectin and menthol. What constitutes "unmedicated" and where can I get some?

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I would think Ludens would be unmedicated. Or Lifesavers. :) I give Halls ( generic ones) but I have a standing order to do so.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i don't give out any cough drops. If some thing has a "drug facts" label to it then I want an order. I do keep a stash of peppermints on my desk for c/o nausea. Those are usually helpful for the kids that have sour stomachs and "i don't want to be in class itis" and don't have anything in them that i feel uncomfortable giving the kids. They do pose a potential choking hazard, so I won't give them out unless the kid in in third grade of above - my policy, i figure a kid probably knows what to do with a mint by then.

But back to the cough drops. I don't give them out. My official poilcy is that I want an order. I do not have time to stop and frisk for Ricolas. If a kid comes in and shows me the handful of coughdrops on their pocket and asks if it's ok, them i have no choice other than to tell them no and tell them policy. If I see a kid pop a cough drop, I have so many other worries, that i usually just go about my day.

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Specializes in School nursing.

Lifesavers are unmedicated. I used to carry the mint ones, then switched to peppermints.

I use cough drops, but I have an order for them. I have a love/hate relationship with them, but as I mentioned before after having a conversation with my school physician, I also considered what I called the "relaxing" factor. For some kids the sucking helps with focus. But honestly, it doesn't matter if it is a mint or a cough drop in that case. (I also work with older kids 7th-12th, so I don't worry to much about choking hazards.)

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I'll keep the cough drops in my clinic for a student that brings them in with a parent note but I, otherwise, don't provide anything.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Cough drops are essentially candy. I stocked them once and it drove me out of my everloving mind....so I don't. I offer water, salt water gargle (a lot of times the cough is postnasal drainage and that seems to help) and a call to a parent for more symptom relief. All that said....MacGill's catalog has nonmedicated drops, I think. Also I'm a fan of the Halls vitamin C drops (which are spendy but CVS and Walgreens have generic versions).

Good luck!

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Specializes in School nursing.
Cough drops are essentially candy. I stocked them once and it drove me out of my everloving mind....so I don't. I offer water, salt water gargle (a lot of times the cough is postnasal drainage and that seems to help) and a call to a parent for more symptom relief. All that said....MacGill's catalog has nonmedicated drops, I think. Also I'm a fan of the Halls vitamin C drops (which are spendy but CVS and Walgreens have generic versions).

Good luck!

Yes, the vitamin C drops are great. I've stocked those as well. You can get them in bulk for a decent price off Amazon as well.

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I have mini lollipos.

Don't do it.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

Peppermints for me. I do ask parents if I can give them one, for cough, Stomach aches and Headaches. It works sometimes.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Nope, I don't want to be the candyman. My wife on the other hand...

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I know there's a lot of reason to stock or not stock cough drops. The schools around me, I subbed a lot, all keep them and it's not a bother for me at this point. Just wanted info about the "medicated" factor. I have high schoolers and am not really worried about choking though it absolutely would be a consideration if I had elementary kids. Thanks guys!

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Thanks I will check these out.

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