Meds locked up?

[100kids]

Ok the topic of medications being locked up has been coming up in my school recently so I said I would poll some other school nurses. Epi pens, inhalers, daily meds, etc. Which drugs do you lock or not lock and how are you storing everything?

[mc3, ASN, RN]

ALL drugs are locked up. No question!

mc3:nurse:

[SassyTachyRN]

We lock up all meds, district wide.

[100kids, BSN, RN]

Thanks everyone for the responses. It's amazing how much they vary from 1 person to another. Some local school district nurses were discussing this recently because everyone has different thoughts about what should be locked up and what should be easily accessible. Made for an interesting conversation and mini debate. I guess our differences are no different than the differences on this all over.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Emergency meds are avail when the building is open, after school hours they are in my office (which is locked but avail to whichever bldg. admin is there) but not secured in the med cabinet. All others are locked. Mine hang in a prominent place in my office and are easily identifiable.

[amnesiac1c]

During school hours, nurses in my district keep emergency meds (EpiPens, Diastat, inhalers) unlocked. But we lock them up at the end of the day.

[Windchaser22]

Epi pens, inhalers, glucagon and diastat are in unlocked, portable containers set up by grade. These must be brought outside during an emergency or drill and be available for the deligates (epi pen) to use at all times. All other Rx meds are in a locked case inside a locked cabinet. OTC are in a locked cabinet that I leave unlocked when I am there.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I bought a small safe when I started . . . they didn't have a good system.

The safe is in the small office off the main office - and the key is kept hanging on a chain above the safe. I'm not at every school (we have 11 campuses) and I work 3 days a week.

All meds are in the small safe - epi pens included. It takes 3 seconds to open the safe with the key.