The Plainfield School District acknowledges that the responsibility for administering medication to a student rests primarily with that student' s parent/ guardian. Authorized Plainfield School District personnel will administer medication during the school day only when failure to receive such doctor prescribed medication during school hours would jeopardize the student' s health and education.

The Superintendent shall establish regulations for the administration of medications to students. The regulations shall be substantially based on the recommended Guidelines for Medication Administration in the Schools, published by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the State Board of Education, and shall provide for administration of medication to a student during school hours or during school activities only when necessary to maintain the student in school. A copy of this policy and the regulations shall be given to the parent/ guardian of each student within fifteen (15) days after the start of each school term or within fifteen (15) days of starting classes for students transferring to the Plainfield School District during the school term. Also within such fifteen-day period, students enrolled shall annually be informed of the contents of this policy and the rules. The administration of medication during regular school hours is contingent upon the following regulations:

1. Medications, which include both PRESCRIPTION DRUGS and OVER-THE-COUNTER, to be taken during the school day will only be administered after the parent/ guardian files a completed Plainfield School District "Medication Authorization Form" which is available from the building nurse or the district website and needs to be filled out annually.
2. Any medications, which are brought to school without the completed Medication Authorization Form, will not be administered.
   
3. The student' s parent/ guardian must renew written orders for continuing medication at the beginning of each school year, whenever the medication or its dosage is changed, and when asked to do so by the school nurse.
4. We ask that parents bring in all medication in to the school. The medication must be brought to the school office in a pharmaceutical container labeled with the student’s name, name of medication, the dosage and all pertinent instructions. If it is absolutely impossible for parents to bring in medication, we ask that students, upon their immediate arrival to school, turn the medication into the office in a sealed envelope with the precluded information. The empty container will be sent home with the student at the end of each week or at the end of the interim of medication administration. If the parent or guardian does not pick up the medication by the end of the school year, the certified school nurse will dispose of and document that medications were discarded. Medications will be discarded in the presence of a witness.
   
5. The initial dosage of the medication must be given at home.
   
6. Students are not allowed to keep any kind of medication in their possession while at school unless so directed by the written authorization of their physician.
   
   1. Students must have the Asthma and Emergency Medication Authorization Hold Harmless and Indemnity form signed by their parent and physician to keep their inhaler or emergency medication with them in school.
      
   2. We recommend those students who keep their inhaler or emergency medication with them also keep an additional inhaler or emergency medication in the nurse's office in case of emergency or loss of inhaler
      
7. The student must come to the school office for his/her medicine. The school will strive to assist students in grades K-5 to remember to come to the office to take his/her medication.
   
8. Acknowledging that occasionally a medication must be administered during the school day, a certified school nurse or registered professional nurse, if available, shall administer the medication. If a nurse is unavailable, a building administrator or a teacher holding an administrative certification and who volunteers may either: 1) Supervise the self-administration of the medication; or 2) administer the medication himself/herself.
   
9. Any Plainfield School District personnel holding an administrative certification who volunteers to give medication will be fully indemnified by the District in the event of any legal action. It is the intent of this section to fully protect such volunteers and, therefore, the District assumes full liability in this regard.
   
10. Any certified employee may administer medications in emergency situations if, under the circumstances, the school nurse, an administrator, or emergency medical personnel cannot be available in sufficient time and the student cannot reasonably self-administer the medication.
    
11. The school will maintain an individual written record of any medication dispensed in the individual student' s health record. Such record will list the date, time, dosage, route, and signature of individual(s) administering the medication or supervising the self-administration of the medication. A designee of the nurse or the certified administrator may create the actual record, but said nurse or administrator will affix his/her signature to the record.
    
12. Medications and special items necessary to administer medications, such as syringes and hypodermic needles, will be stored in a separate locked drawer and/or cabinet. Medications requiring refrigeration will be refrigerated in a secure area.
    
13. Oral medications required on a field trip or other school-sponsored activity away from the customary site of storage must be sent to school by parent, in a pharmaceutical container labeled with the student’s name, name of medication, dosage and all pertinent instructions. A certified employee supervising the activity, who is willing, will supervise the self-administration of medication.
    
14. An employee authorized to supervise the self-administration of medication will provide the medication to the student from the storage area, observe the student measure and take the required dosage, return the medication to its storage place, provide for or prepare a record, and initial same.
    
15. Any side effects of the medication will be documented and placed in the student' s health record.
    
16. The school will, upon the request of the licensed prescriber and/or the parent/ guardian, provide written feedback relative to any observed effects of the medication.