what would you do - meds w/o labels

[jnemartin]

scenario: a student brings in a wrapped/sealed med from home, but it's not in original packaging (like zofran, some ADHD medications, and even EPI pens, for example). consent is signed... what would you do?

• This happens to me all the time- sometimes parents will even bring the meds in like this with the consent filled out. They have no idea the meds need to be in original packaging. I understand why they do it (usually to split the med between home and school). What I've been doing is notifying parents of what is missing/required and holding the med in my office until the original packaging is brought in. My rationale is that it is safer for me to hold on to the med, rather than have the child keep it on person or send the med home and then the child has no access in case of emergency like EPI.
  

[AdobeRN]

absolutely never take random unlabeled meds from a parent - because the parent can just take them right back. But if a 12 y/o hands you some inappropriately packaged meds... do you hand it back? That is a huge liability in my opinion. I think the nurse should confiscate the med and notify parent. I'm helping my school determine policies on this sort of thing, so all input helps.

Nope - gets confiscated by myself or teacher, parent called and/or emailed, medication thrown in my "pick up" basket until an adult can pick it up.

[jnemartin, BSN, RN]

Nope - gets confiscated by myself or teacher, parent called and/or emailed, medication thrown in my "pick up" basket until an adult can pick it up.

this is my opinion, too, but I'm hearing people here say they do not accept anything unlabeled.

[AdobeRN]

this is my opinion, too, but I'm hearing people here say they do not accept anything unlabeled.

I don't think any of the nurses would tell a student with a baggie of pills "no I can't accept that because it is not labeled, go put them in your backpack to take home".....or at least I would hope not - haha. I am pretty sure the meds would be confiscated, parent notified etc etc

I think most are referring to parents leaving unlabeled medication or attempting to drop off unlabeled medication - accepting that type of medication from an adult/parent/guardian.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

absolutely never take random unlabeled meds from a parent - because the parent can just take them right back. But if a 12 y/o hands you some inappropriately packaged meds... do you hand it back? That is a huge liability in my opinion. I think the nurse should confiscate the med and notify parent. I'm helping my school determine policies on this sort of thing, so all input helps.

Nope. I keep it til it is picked up or tossed.

[aprilmoss]

Unlabeled meds are not permitted in school. They are confiscated from students. If a parent wishes to take them home, that's fine, but we won't accept them being brought in. I certainly CAN NOT administer or allow a student to take stuff from an unlabled container.

[kidzcare]

I had a family a few years ago that would send meds in a student's backpack on Fridays because the kids would take the bus to their dad's house on Fridays instead of mom's house. The first time we noticed, we called the parents and let them know that they cannot do that and they were not happy because that was a very convenient solution for them but agreed. Then they kept doing it and we called again. A few times. Then they started sending the meds in a sibling's backpack because we were wise to them being sent in the one child's backpack. I actually don't even remember how it ended up since it was 5 or 6 years ago but that family was ALWAYS a huge pain.

ETA: the meds were singulair, an ADHD med, and once an antibiotic. All sent in a 3rd or 5th graders backpack and on the bus.