Minnesota Guidelines for Medication Administration in Schools
Introduction
The CDC states more than 40% of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic health condition, such as asthma, obesity, other physical conditions, and behavior/learning problems. The healthcare needs of children with known chronic conditions can be complex and often includes both daily medications and medications to address emergencies and save lives. Emergency medications may also be necessary for students with no known health conditions but potential life threatening health emergencies such as opioid overdose.
Medication administration in schools is complex due to factors such as changing technology to improve the medical management of health conditions, new types, and forms of medications, evolving best practices and standards of care for medical providers, school nursing and health care staffing and workloads, and changing policy or statutes at the state and federal level in both education, health, and nursing.
However, medication administration is an essential function to provide all Minnesota children a free and appropriate public education. The goal of the Minnesota Guidelines for Medication Administration in Schools (Minnesota Guidelines) is to increase the safe and effect administration of medications to students in schools.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Safe Administration of Medication in School: Policy Statement offers guidance to school physicians, licensed prescribers, school nurses, other school health professionals, and groups providing oversight to school health activities and ensures patient safety and equity lenses are applied to administration of medications during school and for school-related activities.
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) had developed School Nursing Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline: Medication Administration in Schools as a decision-making tool to guide professional school nurses in implementing evidenced-based practices and a Toolkit for Medication Administration in Schools which provides sample policies, forms, templates, checklists and protocols.
Education and Training
- Education and training best practices for medication administration, student education on medication use including self-carry.
Medication Administration Frequently Asked Questions
- Topics and questions most frequently asked.
Medication Administration Procedures
- Recommendations of best practices for procedures including safe medication administration, provider/parent authorization, documentation, handling, storage, and disposal of medications, planning for field trips, student self-administration, medication errors procedures
Medication Guidelines 2015 (Historical)
- Relevant history to the development of MN medication administration guidelines and 2015 Medication Administration Guideline in pdf.
Medication in Schools: Laws, Rules, Regulations
- Minnesota statutes for medication administration, emergency medication, medical, nursing and pharmacy statutes, and the February 2000 Attorney General Opinion.
Naloxone Administration in School Settings
- Statutes, Naloxone Toolkit which includes emergency procedure, condition specific protocol for administration, resources for education and training and recovery, and resources for obtaining naloxone.
Policy, Roles, and Responsibility of School Personnel
- Policy development and considerations, responsibility/roles of school boards, school administrator, school health services staff including licensed nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) and nursing delegation.
Types of Medications
- Prescription, over the counter medications, non-FDA approved over the counter medicines, investigation drugs, medical cannabis, stock OTC medications, stock epinephrine (EpiPens) and condition specific protocols.