Does your state allow you to give medication without a Health care provider order?

[RNTadaaaa]

I have had parents bring medication to the school so I can give it to their kids. I have to give my speech " According to state law and our student handbook, medications cannot be administered without an order from your health care pr......on and on.

Am I missing something?

I mean people are shocked....SHOCKED that a Nurse would need an order from a Health care provider to give medicine to the kiddos. It must be different state to state?

I had a parent say "Even for TYLENOL?!?!?"

Yes. Yes, even for that in my district.

I need to lie down. ?

[OldDude]

We interpret the RX label as the MD order for prescription medicine. Otherwise we don't need a MD order for any OTC medicine if its administered in accordance with the instruction label; with parent consent in both cases.

And...only if the medicine is approved by the FDA for why it's being given. No supplements, oils, potions, or other grandma's bag of tricks.

[Eleven011]

We only need provider orders for prescription medications. Tylenol, motrin, tums, ect we can give with signed parental consent. And parents need to bring in original, store labeled bottles of medication. We don't keep stock. If it were a daily thing, say daily OTC prilosec or Zyrtec, than I would get an order.

[RNTadaaaa]

3 minutes ago, OldDude said:

We interpret the RX label as the MD order for prescription medicine. Otherwise we don't need a MD order for any OTC medicine if its administered in accordance with the instruction label; with parent consent in both cases.

And...only if the medicine is approved by the FDA for why it's being given. No supplements, oils, potions, or other grandma's bag of tricks.

Ha! It all makes sense now! Thanks for responding!!

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

We need provider orders in Illinois. I keep a copy of "Illinois State Law on Administration of Medications in the School Setting" on the wall behind my computer so I can read it off. I always have to repeat "it's Illinois state law" when a parent gets upset about the "school rule."

[RNTadaaaa]

5 minutes ago, Eleven011 said:

We only need provider orders for prescription medications. Tylenol, motrin, tums, ect we can give with signed parental consent. And parents need to bring in original, store labeled bottles of medication. We don't keep stock. If it were a daily thing, say daily OTC prilosec or Zyrtec, than I would get an order.

This is how it should be! Thanks for responding. I hope my state lightens up on this soon.

[RNTadaaaa]

3 minutes ago, BiscuitRN said:

We need provider orders in Illinois. I keep a copy of "Illinois State Law on Administration of Medications in the School Setting" on the wall behind my computer so I can read it off. I always have to repeat "it's Illinois state law" when a parent gets upset about the "school rule."

So you know my pain huh? Good idea! I'll do the same and post my state law as well.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

Clutch the pearls!

It may be a district by district decision. Here, I need an MD order for OTC medication (and we cannot dose OTC for random headaches, only for things like migraine headaches).

At my other district the parent could sign the consent form for administration.

[Glitternurse, LVN]

In california we have to have a doctor's order and written parental consent to give anything, oral or topical. I can't even give a cough drop without orders and a consent. With the one exception being our stock epi.

We are fortunate that my district has telemedicine, so as long as the parent has signed the consent a student can see a provider via iPad and I can get an OTC order that way. The telemedicine company provides and we keep on site all the OTC meds they order.

[RNTadaaaa]

4 minutes ago, Glitternurse said:

In california we have to have a doctor's order and written parental consent to give anything, oral or topical. I can't even give a cough drop without orders and a consent. With the one exception being our stock epi.

We are fortunate that my district has telemedicine, so as long as the parent has signed the consent a student can see a provider via iPad and I can get an OTC order that way. The telemedicine company provides and we keep on site all the OTC meds they order.

Whaaaaat! Telemedicine at school? That is awesome!

[Glitternurse, LVN]

46 minutes ago, RNTadaaaa said:

Whaaaaat! Telemedicine at school? That is awesome!

It is awesome. We started last school year and I love it

[CanIcallmymom, BSN, RN]

In my district, we have to have a provider order for all meds including OTC, and the meds must be brought in by the parent. For rx meds, the rx label serves as provider order.