Ask the child’s physician, dentist, or other health care provider who has authority to prescribe medications if a medication, either prescription or non-prescription, must be administered during the school day. Medication includes an epinephrine injector, e.g., EpiPen^®, asthma medication, medical cannabis, glucagon, and any medication required under a plan listed in 105 ILCS 5/10-22.21b(c), added by P.A. 101-205, for a student’s self-administration of medication.

For a student using medical cannabis: The parent/guardian is responsible for providing the school with copies of the valid registry identification cards issued to their child and the child’s designated caregiver as required by the Ill. Dept. of Public Health. The student’s parent/guardian must also ask the student’s health care provider to complete a School Medication Authorization Form – Medical Cannabis. The designated caregiver shall be allowed to administer a medical cannabis infused product (product) to the student on the premises of the child’s school or on the child’s school bus. The product must be immediately removed from school premises or the school bus after administration.

A product administered by a school nurse or administrator, or self-administered under the supervision of a school nurse or administrator, must be stored at school in the health office at all times in a manner consistent with storage of other student medication at the school and may be accessible only by the school nurse or an administrator.

For a student with diabetes: The parent/guardian is responsible for sharing the health care provider’s instructions. When the student is at school, the student’s diabetes will be managed according to a diabetes care plan. To the extent there is any conflict between the diabetes care plan and this Procedure, the diabetes care plan shall control. Last, the Public Self-Care of Diabetes Act allows a person with diabetes (or a parent/guardian of a person with diabetes) to self-administer insulin (or administer insulin) in any location, public or private, where the person is authorized to be irrespective of whether the injection site is uncovered during or incidental to the administration of insulin.

For a student with epilepsy: The parent/guardian is responsible for sharing the health care provider’s instructions. When the student is at school, the student’s epilepsy will be managed according to a seizure action plan, if one exists. To the extent there is any conflict between the seizure action plan and this Procedure, the seizure action plan shall control.

For a student with asthma: The parent/guardian is responsible for sharing the student’s asthma action plan. When the student is at school, the student’s asthma will be managed according to an asthma action plan, if one exists. To the extent there is any conflict between the student’s asthma action plan and this Procedure, the asthma action plan shall control. Asthma emergencies shall be managed pursuant to the District’s asthma emergency response protocol.

A student with asthma is allowed to self-administer and self-carry asthma medication if the student’s parents/guardians provides the school with: (1) written authorization for the self-administration and/or self-care of asthma medication; and (2) the prescription label containing the name of the asthma medication, the prescribed dosage, and the time at which or circumstances under which the asthma medication is to be administered.

For a student self-administering medication: A student with an asthma action plan, an Individual Health Care Action Plan, an Illinois Food Allergy Emergency Action and Treatment Authorization Form, a plan pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or a plan pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is allowed to self-administer medication if the student’s parent/guardian provides the school with: (1) written permission for the student’s self-administration of medication; (2) written authorization from the student’s physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse for the student to self-administer the medication; and (3) the prescription label containing the name of the medication, the prescribed dosage, and the time(s) or circumstances under with the medication is to be administered.

If the child’s physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, dentist, or other health care provider who has authority to prescribe medications authorizes a child to self-administer medication, then ask the health care provider to complete a School Medicine Authorization Form (SMA Form). This form must be completed and given to the school before the school will store or dispense any medication, before a child may possess asthma medication or an epinephrine injector, and before a child will be allowed to self-administer any medication.

If a student is on a medication on an indefinite or long-term basis, file a new SMA Form every year.

Bring the medication to the school office. If the medicine is for asthma or is an epinephrine injector, a student may keep possession of it for immediate use at the student’s discretion: (1) while in school, (2) while at a school-sponsored activity, (3) while under the supervision of school personnel, or (4) before or after normal school activities, such as while in before-school or after-school care on school-operated property.

Bring other prescription medications to the school in the original package or appropriately labeled container. The container shall display: student’s name, prescription number, medication name and dosage, administration route and/or other direction, date(s) and time(s) to be taken, licensed prescriber’s name, pharmacy name, address, and phone number. Bring non-prescription medications to school in the manufacturer’s original container with the label indicating the ingredients and the student’s name affixed.

At the end of the treatment regimen, any unused medication should be removed from the school by the parent/guardian or the school will discard the medication.

If the student is at risk of anaphylaxis, the procedures for Individual Allergy Management will be followed as outlined in Board Policy 5590: Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response, and Management Program.

 

Regulation 5500R

Legal Ref: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14b, 5/10-22.21b, 5/22-30, and 5/22-33; 105 ILCS 145/, Care of Students with Diabetes Act; 410 ILCS 130/, Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act; 23 Ill.Admin.Code §1.540; In re Estate of Stewart, 406 Ill. Dec. 345 (2nd Dist. 2016); In re Estate of Stewart, 412 Ill. Dec. 914 (Ill. 2017).

Administrative Adoption: October 25, 1999

Amended: January 23, 2023