Medication refills

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What is your procedure when a daily med needs refilling? I call parents when I am down to about 3 pills and let them know I need more. I also remind the student. Some parents have the meds there the next day. But some... ugh. I call again when I give the last one. And again when I don't have a med. What else can I do?

Specializes in family practice and school nursing.

I call 4-5 days early and send home the bottles when empty.

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i try to call when i get down to about 5 doses. if it's an older child, i tell them too to relay a message. When the bottle goes empty, i send it home as the "final notice". I am really lucky this year to have some really on the ball parents with that!

I call 4-5 days early and send home the bottles when empty.

I don't send the bottles with the kids. I always thought that I couldn't because it has patient specific information on it so it could pose a privacy concern?

I will send the empty bottle home with a parent when they bring in more. If they don't want it, I will rip the label off and keep the bottle. Those little things come in handy or my son likes to play with them in the bathtub.

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I will send an email with 4-5 doses left, if I don't get a response I will send another when last dose is given, still no meds I will make 1 phone call and let the teacher know - after that I don't chase these parents down. I have been lucky this year - out of the 12 kids on meds I only have 2 parents that with every refill I am emailing and calling and the kids will go 1-5 days without meds.

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I tell the parents that I will send a note home on Friday if I don't have enough to last the following week. Then I send the bottle home when it's empty. I also give the parent a call when I don't have a med to give the child.

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My school (6-8th grade) only allows 10 doses to be brought in at a time. The parents generally know that every other Monday they need to bring in a refill. I will call when there are about 2 pills left and call again the first day that the student is without meds. After that I don't track them down. Our school system considers it a service to the parents that we give their child medication instead of them having to come up here and do it.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
Our school system considers it a service to the parents that we give their child medication instead of them having to come up here and do it.

That is a great stance to take. Part of the universal entitlement attitude is this impeccable customer service that is expected.

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