My 8 year old son has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. He is currently trialing his first medication. First 2 weeks he just has half a tablet in the morning. The following 2 weeks he will be required to take it morning and mid day.
I have informed the school, provided all relevant information and they are happy to assist, however one thing has me quit nervous. The school expects my son to carry his medicine on him to school and give to a certain teacher DAILY. I think they are forgetting the fact that my son is ADHD, do you know how many goes it will take to get my son to remember to take that medication to said teacher every morning? He's just thinking about seeing his mates!
Now I'd understand if this was an antibiotic or something 'off the shelf' However Ritalin is a controlled drug! What if my son loses it, what if another child picks it up. My list of concerns go on. Is this the norm in primary school, for the student to carry their own medication on them everyday? I was hoping to have Webster packs made up weekly.
I've tried looking on the department of educations website in regards to policies for administering medication, but I can't find what I'm looking for.
11 Replies
This is very odd. I work in a school and our policy is that it must be taken to the office by the parent. The parent can leave a supply so it doesn’t have to happen daily. The student has to go to the office at the allocated time to receive the medication.
I wouldn’t go along with this. It doesn’t seem right.
My child's primary school has a cupboard for medications clearly labeled for each child. They have an on-going cupboard and a cupboard for temporary medications. I've got my child's asthma puffer there as i didn't trust him to properly administer it if he needed to... although it is an option for them to have it in their bag.
Surely you are able t ok have a stock pile in the sick-bay that he is able to go to each day or they'll come collect him...
When my boys were in primary school, any medications had to be handed in and collected at the office/first aid room by the parent or other adult with permission to collect the child. For long term medications a supply could be left with the relevant signed paperwork so you weren’t having to go in daily. Asthma medications and epipens were kept in the classroom with the child, in a black bum bag that had a photo of the child attached and with the signed administration paperwork. The bag then went with the child as they moved about the school to pe, library, or at lunch breaks it would be handed to whoever was on duty in the area the child played.
I worked in a school as an ea and medication was always kept in the office and administered by office staff and was always handed in by a parent and forms signed. Ridiculous wanting a primary school child to carry Ritalin.
My child’s school requires parents to sign a form detailing name, dosage and times and time required to be given by school. Medication must be provided in the original packaging and labels must match information on sheet, it’s then kept in an adult head-height locked cabinet, which is away from desks and filing cabinets etc so kids can’t climb to access it. Something definitely seems off about the instructions given to you ...
My daughters ADHD meds are kept in the office. It is administered by a staff memeber. I give them a terms supply at the start of each term. I fill in the paperwork at the beginning of the year. My child never has her meds ob her. She has ADHD and she is not capable of being in charge of her own medications. That’s a ridiculous idea.
That is bizarre. We recently had to put our daughter (who is the same age as your son) on Ventolin; which can be purchased OTC, just for perspective. We didn't realise that she couldn't just carry it on her and self-administer like we did back in the 80s, lol, plus she's very responsible and I trusted her to take it only when needed. The school wanted all forms, Ventolin sent to the office with all associated paraphernalia. While I totally get that it's important for them to keep all the kids safe and she is now to go to the office when she needs to use it - I cannot imagine having a kid carrying Ritalin around!! Very, very strange. Escalate this, it is surely not right.
Came to say the same thing!
My child is 12, in his last year of primary school. Still not allowed to carry his own ventolin, whilst he's been responsible for administering his own ventolin at home for years!
Even when I was in primary school in the 90s kids who required medication of any sort had to go to the office to take it. I had to take anti biotics at the office a few times myself!
When I was in high school Ritalin was considered a highly controlled substance and was kept secured in a safe - imagine highachoolers roaming around with Ritalin in their pockets!
I'd definitely check you've been given correct information about medication. If that is in fact their policy I'd be challenging it because it's irresponsible quite frankly!
As others have said it seems really odd the school would endorse this. When my son was taking Ritalin we provided it to the office, signed a form allowing them to administer it and they kept it in a cupboard. I'd be talking to the school again.
When our son was taking it the school got us to leave the box with one sheet of meds in it with them at school and our son was to go the office midday to take it.. when they ran out we were to give them another sheet. I was under the impression they had to have the box with the prescription details on it or they’re not allowed to administer it.
When our son was taking it the school got us to leave the box with one sheet of meds in it with them at school and our son was to go the office midday to take it.. when they ran out we were to give them another sheet. I was under the impression they had to have the box with the prescription details on it or they’re not allowed to administer it.