med management

Sorry, I don't understand all of your question. Yes, a camp would typically still have medication administration protocols even if they're not ACA accredited--I assume it depends on the state, but this is per Board of Health policies which govern summer camps, rather than just ACA. Most camps would (and should) insist that prescription medications come in the original container, which of course have the administration information.

So, yes, the thing in question is giving OTC meds. This is handled in different ways. It's common to have standing orders--say, a list of common conditions (headache, rash, diarrhea) and the allowable treatment (tylenol, benadryl, imodium). But some camps do not give any OTC medications. Parents can send bottles of OTC if they think their children might need some, with written directions--"please give my kid 500 mg of tylenol if she has one of her headaches". Some have the parents sign permission to give, and I've gotten health forms where the parents write "NO--please call me before giving any medications." Many, many parents write "no aspirin" and I smile, thinking, "do these parents think I'm incompetent?"--knowing that in their place I'd probably do the same, because what do I know about the camp nurse if there even is one?

After my first year as a camp nurse, I discovered I got a lot more parent complaints that I wasn't giving enough medication than that I was giving it too often, so I eased way up. I gave the kids more medicine than I would give to myself or my own children--not inappropriately, of course, but I was pretty free and easy with the tylenol, in conjunction with telling them to drink more water and so on.

At our camp all meds must be in the original pharmacy bottle. We must have a written order from a practitioner for each medication. The OTC's are listed on a yes/no form which is then signed by the practitioner. This includes bug spray and sunscreen.

We have standing orders for common issues that kids have while at camp. We then require parents to also sign off on the list indicating any medication they do not want their child to receive. Any medication (other, vitamin, supplement, etc) not on the list that parents choose to send must be in the original bottle with a current prescription or note from their physician.