Mailing Medication

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Quick question! We had a student transfer out of our district and move an hour and a half way (as usual the nurses are never informed until they are physically gone). The parent just called and requested that the students inhaler be mailed to their new address. I told her I'd have to check school policy first (not that we have one on this) so I could look further into it and talk to our principal--of course mom is mad, (yet it would be way faster to contact the old pediatrician and have a new script sent to a local pharmacy) and I dont think we can mail medication right? I mean if it were Adderall or any other med I'd of course say absolutely not but its an inhaler so before I say 100% no wanted to see other nursing input on this. This is probably a really dumb question but one of those things that makes me second guess myself.

Specializes in Hospice.

As a camp nurse, we frequently get a request to return "forgotten" meds by mail. Several years ago, we became aware that only prescribers and pharmacies can legally mail meds. Not sure about regulations from shipping services...

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_019.htm?_gl=1*i4vq95*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE1NzUyMDc2NDQuQ1A2ZzVkekpsT1lDRlUyWkFRb2RCM2tBSmc.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I'm not on the fence at all about this. Once the parents moved they abandoned the medication. I would call them and remind them to pick it up, but I am not driving halfwy to them to bring them the inhaler. Since when did their lack of planning become my emergency? Word gets out, the expectation is going to be that you now deliver meds at the end of the year. I would not start that precedent.

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Specializes in medsurg/school nurse.

agree. they abandoned it. they are expensive sometimes depending on insurance but mom should have had the forethought to collect all kids belongings. I would stand on holding it until the end of the year and disposing of it if they do not come to pick it up.

my kiddo has to have inhaler, epi, back up vial of insulin in the nurses office along with glucometer, low supplies, safe treats for pop up bdays etc. all sorts of crap lol. he is a car rider so in k the nurse sent him out with a nice big bag with all his stuff straight to my moms car. I was fully prepared to stop in and pick it all up the day after school since I knew we would both be in our offices trying to close up shop for the summer, but thankfully she was comfortable sending him out with it to the car rider line.

if we moved I would arrange to pick up supplies on his last day, or before shoving off. I would never expect his school to mail his crap to me.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine, Women's Health,School Nursing.
Quote

As a camp nurse, we frequently get a request to return "forgotten" meds by mail. Several years ago, we became aware that only prescribers and pharmacies can legally mail meds. Not sure about regulations from shipping services...

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_019.htm?_gl=1*i4vq95*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE1NzUyMDc2NDQuQ1A2ZzVkekpsT1lDRlUyWkFRb2RCM2tBSmc.

Yes this is what I was looking for! I know its just an inhaler and chances are it would be fine but what if? What if it doesn't make it there? Who is responsible for it? And now I see its not allowed per USPS with out a license to physically mail it...so no thanks. I just find it funny how the child has never stepped foot in my office for the inhaler, they move away and suddenly its emergent that they get it and its their ONLY inhaler... Thank you for this link!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I generally hold it in my medication graveyard for a period of time. If the parent wants it, then they can come and get it. Heck, they can even send someone for it as long as they send a letter empowering that agent to act upon their behalf and that person brings id. I won't send it though. Too many unknowns, plus quite simply put, i don't imagine that my BA would be a happy camper with bearing the cost of shipment, even though it's only a few bucks.

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Specializes in School nursing.
1 minute ago, Flare said:

I generally hold it in my medication graveyard for a period of time. If the parent wants it, then they can come and get it. Heck, they can even send someone for it as long as they send a letter empowering that agent to act upon their behalf and that person brings id. I won't send it though. Too many unknowns, plus quite simply put, i don't imagine that my BA would be a happy camper with bearing the cost of shipment, even though it's only a few bucks.

Medication graveyard - haha!

I have standing orders for Epi. If a student transfers and has Epi-pen that remains unclaimed and is still valid, I have stashed it as a back-up for my own stock-epi.

When it expires, I add to my Epi-pens I use in my Epi-pen plastic box demo for staff (thanks to OldDude for that one, I believe!).

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
17 hours ago, vampiregirl said:

As a camp nurse, we frequently get a request to return "forgotten" meds by mail. Several years ago, we became aware that only prescribers and pharmacies can legally mail meds. Not sure about regulations from shipping services...

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_019.htm?_gl=1*i4vq95*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE1NzUyMDc2NDQuQ1A2ZzVkekpsT1lDRlUyWkFRb2RCM2tBSmc.

WOW!! Another thing I hadn't thought of.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Could a neighbor pick it up or nearby family member?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Our schools policy is meds must be picked up and signed off on in person. if they aren't picked up they are supposed to be destroyed.

On 12/19/2019 at 9:20 AM, Flare said:

I generally hold it in my medication graveyard for a period of time. If the parent wants it, then they can come and get it. Heck, they can even send someone for it as long as they send a letter empowering that agent to act upon their behalf and that person brings id. I won't send it though. Too many unknowns, plus quite simply put, i don't imagine that my BA would be a happy camper with bearing the cost of shipment, even though it's only a few bucks.

What do you do with meds that have been in the graveyard for a while that parents have no interest in getting? I have an file drawer full of old meds from last year that no one will pick up.

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Specializes in kids.
30 minutes ago, jupitercrash said:

Our schools policy is meds must be picked up and signed off on in person. if they aren't picked up they are supposed to be destroyed.

What do you do with meds that have been in the graveyard for a while that parents have no interest in getting? I have an file drawer full of old meds from last year that no one will pick up.

I take them to the drug disposal box at our local PD

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Same - although the thought occurs to me that I am lucky to be familiar with the PD in the town where I work and drop the meds off. I often wonder how it would look to be transporting a baggie full of pill bottles (some of them adderalls) that have children's names on them who are no relation to me and then get pulled over. If it wasn't a straight shot, i'd print out the med report and have the supe sign a letter stating that these medications were removed from the building for destruction and have the pd sign that i did indeed drop the meds. I may still do that.

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My SRO (local PD) will pick them up from my office and transport them to the PD disposal. But smart idea to have them sign off on what they take. I should do that.

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