Do you keep medications for school staff?

Specialties School Nursing Q/A

Specializes in Med-surg/school nursing.
Do you keep medications for school staff?

Do you keep medications like tylenol or ibuprofen for staff in your office? When I first came to this school there were several bottles of otc meds left, not students meds. They have since expired and been disposed of but the teachers come in and ask me if I have anything for a headache or heartburn sometimes. I don't have standing orders and other than initiating workmans comp don't handle staff issues. I am happy to check an occasional blood pressure and of course respond to any emergencies that may come up but otherwise I don't think its my place to keep medications in my office for staff use. They should keep their own on their person in my opinion. 

8 Answers

I don't keep them for staff. I have my own supply and will occasionally share, but I don't have a problem saying "sorry, I'm out" with a full bottle (that I bought with my own money) sitting in my desk. 

Specializes in School Nursing.

Only if it fits in my budget and I have a plethora of stock.  I point to the bottle they're asking for and they self dispense and administer.

Yes, it was a precedent set years before I came.  Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Tums are available to staff.  I point to the cabinet when they ask for medicine (not kept with student meds).  I do not give advice on how much to take.  They're adults who can read the back of the package.  Uses about $20 of my annual budget, but the people who decide my budget like the convenience, so I don't complain ?

Specializes in School nursing.
BrisketRN said:

Yes, it was a precedent set years before I came.  Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Tums are available to staff.  I point to the cabinet when they ask for medicine (not kept with student meds).  I do not give advice on how much to take.  They're adults who can read the back of the package.  Uses about $20 of my annual budget, but the people who decide my budget like the convenience, so I don't complain ?

Yep. I do it exactly the same way.

On 3/1/2021 at 12:56 PM, JenTheSchoolRN said:

Yep. I do it exactly the same way.

Me too. I put a bottle of tylenol, a bottle of ibuprofen, and a bottle of Tums in a cabinet down the hall in the administration office. When staff ask I say, "I think there's a stash in the room with the microwave "and leave them to their own devices. 

(And currently, I remind them on the way out that if they're having any symptoms on the COVID list they need to report it to their supervisor and go home).

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I usually keep the basics around.  Adults can administer to themselves.  I sometimes supplement this stash with the leftover otcs that occasionally get ordered for students and then left behind at the end of the year.  We traditionally have an overnight trip for the 8th graders and their parents are convinced that they all need to have access to otc meds so they'll get orders.  Of course, these kids almost never need the medications and I get to walk a bag of assorted otc analgesics around historic Boston.   

Specializes in School Nursing.
1 hour ago, ajessrn said:

Its kind of surprising how often lately they have been asking me for meds. 

When I notice an increase  in staff behavior, I tend to send "All Staff" e-mails with a brief reminder that the Health Office is a germy place, and to avoid unnecessarily getting exposed to things, keeping OTCs on their person is a much better idea.    (I do this in non-Covid times)

Specializes in Med-surg/school nursing.

thanks all. I don't have my own budget at the school or manage any of the budget. I get all my supplies from one of the other schools. I asked another nurse in the district if she keeps meds for staff and she did say that she does keep otc and gets them at the dollar tree. I feel like yesterday I was asked twice and today already once for something. I may ask my principal if there is money from some pot he can pull from for me to pick up some basic otc meds like tums etc. I already spend some of my own money to get the girls tampons, thin pads, snacks, and bottles of water when they forget theirs. we supply basic pads for the girls but I just like to give them choices for feminine products so I have chosen to take that one on myself with donations as well. 

Its kind of surprising how often lately they have been asking me for meds. 

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