Cough drops

NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Dec 19, 2017

I give ONE. I bought sugar free mint ones that the kids don't like as much and I figure, they're just nasty candy and when my supply is gone for the year...it's gone. I do point out to the non-coughers that they haven't coughed since entering my office. about 95 % of the time this will result in a fake, half-hearted attempt at a cough. This is purely for my own amusement as I'm going to hand over the cough drop anyway. Oh, and I never give one to the same kid two days in a row. I tell them they can bring their own and no one is frisking anyone in the halls for contraband cough drops.

I did have a kid today who came in for a cough drop, I gave it. He came back several hours later asking for another and I asked if it worked earlier. He said no, and I asked "why would I give you another when the first one didn't work?" He was stunned that I didn't just hand over the cough drop. But seriously, if something didn't work, do you try it again or move on to other intervention? Even a KN can figure that out.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2017

I have a love-hate relationship with cough drops.

I limit the number I give out (max 3 to an actual coughing student) and buy the menthol ones. I did have a conversation about them with our school physician, though, and she make an interesting point about their use for helping some students focus. And I have seen that. So if a cough drop helps, meh.

Csn2016, BSN · Dec 19, 2017

I have a special drawer in my office that is for students cough drops. They are told they have to bring in their own, labeled with their name. I do have an 'emergency' stash that I keep in my desk drawer that very few kids know about and I only give it out when it is very obvious they need one (coughing continuously in my office)...So a whole bag will last me almost the entire school year.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 19, 2017

they are technically considered medication and by the letter of the law in my state would need a doctors order so i don't stock them. That being said. I don't have time to stop and frisk students for Lunden's and Ricolas. If a kid has one in their mouth, I won't make them spit it out. If they come in and ask me and show me their pocketful, i simply tell them that they're not supposed to have them without a doctors order and signature from a parent. if they pop one in their mouth as soon as they leave my office, i can at least chart that i told them as much. it's in the handbook as well, but no one actually reads that.

Now peppermints on the other hand i do stock, i'll pick up a bag at Walmart, those are for sour stomachs and work wonders. Totally worth the 99 cents every other month or so.

ohiobobcat · Dec 19, 2017

A couple of years ago, I had a MAD run on cough drops. I buy the bulk box of 600 from Macgill and I went through a box and a half in September. I talked to administration and informed them that I was going to be "out" of cough drops for a bit, because kids were abusing the privilege of having cough drops available. I got a lot of "What kind of nurse doesn't have cough drops?" muttered as kids walked out my door after that. A smart and frugal one, I would think to myself. I brought them back out mid winter and have seen no more cough drop abuse since that fateful September.

Cough drops are part of my standing orders from our school physician.

AutumnDraidean · Dec 19, 2017

I too carry mints for sour stomachs and have, on occasion, successfully "sold" them to non coughing students who wanted cough drops. Generally though I tell students no, "You aren't coughing, no, no cough drops for you."

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2017

A couple of years ago, I had a MAD run on cough drops. I buy the bulk box of 600 from Macgill and I went through a box and a half in September. I talked to administration and informed them that I was going to be "out" of cough drops for a bit, because kids were abusing the privilege of having cough drops available. I got a lot of "What kind of nurse doesn't have cough drops?" muttered as kids walked out my door after that. A smart and frugal one, I would think to myself. I brought them back out mid winter and have seen no more cough drop abuse since that fateful September.
Cough drops are part of my standing orders from our school physician.

Mine too.

See, Ohio, I do the opposite. I order two boxes of 600 cough drops. I usually run out in March and don't order anymore. The kids are like "what??" but I shrug and tell them my budget quota has been reached.

OhioBPH · Dec 19, 2017

they are technically considered medication and by the letter of the law in my state would need a doctors order so i don't stock them.
Now peppermints on the other hand i do stock, i'll pick up a bag at Walmart, those are for sour stomachs and work wonders. Totally worth the 99 cents every other month or so.

Me too. Nothing with a drug facts label can be given freely. I stock hard candies and peppermints.

Supernrse01, BSN · Dec 19, 2017

I don't give cough drops to students. I treat them as medication, which means they must have their own stash and a signed form to use. I will allow the student to keep the cough drops with them, as long as the teacher is aware, and the student recognizes they can not share with friends.

Eleven011 · Dec 19, 2017

I don't stock any kind of meds, including cough drops. I have several kids every year stop in and ask, but I tell them their parents have to bring them in. I'm pretty sure every teacher has a desk full of bags that kids have brought to them, and I'm ok with that. Just don't send them to my office or I'll have to get an order for them!

nmr79 · Dec 19, 2017

I stopped ordering them. We had one bag at the start of the year. Student need a permit signed by their parent and MD to get them. They were in disbelief when I'd tell them that (usually the same ones who demanded them without even coughing). I used up the one bag, but usually on staff who actually were coughing. The kids are welcome to bring their own for me to store, along with the paperwork. I'm not wasting my meager budget on them, though.