Code:        JHCD/JHCDA

                                                                        Adopted:        9/24/2015

                                                                        Readopted:        4/6/2023

Metro East Web Academy

Medications

The public charter school recognizes that administering a medication to a student and/or permitting a student to administer a medication to themself may be necessary when the failure to take such medication during school hours would prevent the student from attending school, and recognizes a need to ensure the health and well-being of a student who requires regular doses or injections of a medication as a result of experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction or adrenal crisis^[1], or a need to manage hypoglycemia, asthma or diabetes. Accordingly, the public charter school may administer or a student may be permitted to administer to themself prescription (injectable and noninjectable) and/or nonprescription (noninjectable) medication at school.

The public charter school shall designate personnel authorized to administer medications to students. Annual training shall be provided to designated personnel as required by law in accordance with guidelines approved by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). When a licensed health care professional is not immediately available, trained personnel designated by the public charter school may administer epinephrine, glucagon, naloxone or another medication to a student as prescribed and/or allowed by Oregon law.

Current first-aid and CPR cards are strongly encouraged for designated personnel.

The public charter school reserves the right to reject a request for  administration of medication at school, either by public charter school personnel or student self-administration, if the medication is not necessary for the student to remain in school.

The Executive Director and/or designee will require that an individualized health care plan and allergy plan is developed for every student with a known life-threatening allergy or a need to manage asthma, and an individualized health care plan for every student for whom the public charter school has been given proper notice of a diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Such a plan will include provisions for administering medication and/or responding to emergency situations while the student is in school, at a school-sponsored activity, under the supervision of school personnel, in a before-school or after-school care program on school-owned property and in transit to or from school or a school-sponsored activity.

A student may be allowed to self-administer a medication for asthma, diabetes, hypoglycemia or severe allergies as prescribed by an Oregon licensed health care professional, upon written and signed request of the parent or guardian and subject to age-appropriate guidelines. This self-administration provision also requires a written and signed confirmation the student has been instructed by the Oregon licensed health care professional on the proper use of and responsibilities for the prescribed medication. A request to the public charter school to administer or allow a student to self-administer prescription medication shall include a signed prescription and treatment plan from a prescriber^[2].

A request to the public charter school to administer or allow a student to self-administer nonprescription medication that is not approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) shall include a written order from the student’s prescriber that meets the requirements of law.

A written request and permission form signed by a student’s parent or guardian, unless the student is allowed to access medical care without parental consent under state law^[3], is required and will be kept on file.

If the student is deemed to have violated Board policy or medical protocol by the public charter school, the public charter school may revoke the permission given to a student to self-administer medication.

Prescription and nonprescription medication will be handled, stored, monitored, disposed of and records maintained in accordance with established public charter school administrative regulations governing the administration of prescription or nonprescription medications to students, including procedures for the disposal of sharps and glass.

A process shall be established by which, upon parent or guardian written request, a backup prescribed autoinjectable epinephrine is kept at a reasonably, secure location in the student’s classroom as provided by state law.

A premeasured dose of epinephrine may be administered by trained, designated personnel to any student or other individual on school premises who the person believes in good faith is experiencing a severe allergic reaction, regardless of whether the student or individual has a prescription for epinephrine.

Naloxone or any similar medication that is in any form available for safe administration and that is designed to rapidly reverse an overdose of an opioid drug may be administered by trained, designated personnel to any student or other individual on school premises who the person believes in good faith is experiencing an overdose of an opioid drug.

This policy shall not prohibit, in any way, the administration of recognized first aid to a student by public charter school employees in accordance with established state law, Board policy and administrative regulation.

A school administrator, teacher or other public charter school employee designated by the school administrator is not liable in a criminal action or for civil damages as a result of the administration, in good faith and pursuant to state law, of prescription and/or nonprescription medication.

A school administrator, school nurse, teacher or other public charter school employee designated by the school administrator is not liable in a criminal action or for civil damages as a result of a student’s self-administration of medication, as described in Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 339.866, if that person in good faith and pursuant to state law, assisted the student in self-administration of the medication.

A school administrator, school nurse, teacher or other public charter school employee designated by the school administration is not liable in a criminal action or for civil damages as a result of the use of medication if that person in good faith administers autoinjectable epinephrine to a student or other individual with a severe allergy who is unable to self-administer the medication, regardless of whether the student or individual has a prescription for epinephrine, or administers naloxone or any similar medication that is in any form available for safe administration and that is designed to rapidly reverse an overdose of an opioid drug to a student or other individual who that person believes in good faith is experiencing an overdose of an opioid drug.

The public charter school and the members of the Board are not liable in a criminal action or for civil damages as a result of the use of medication if any person in good faith, on school premises, including at a school, on school property under the jurisdiction of the public charter school or at an activity under the jurisdiction of the public charter school, administers autoinjectable epinephrine to a student or other individual with a severe allergy who is unable to self-administer the medication, regardless of whether the student or individual has a prescription for epinephrine, or administers naloxone or any similar medication that is in any form available for safe administration and that is designed to rapidly reverse an overdose of an opioid drug to a student or other individual who the person believes in good faith is experiencing an overdose of an opioid drug..

The Executive Director shall develop administrative regulations as needed to meet the requirements of law and the implementation of this policy.

END OF POLICY

Legal Reference(s):

ORS 109.610

ORS 109.640

ORS 109.675

ORS 332.107

ORS 339.866 - 339.871

ORS 433.800 - 433.830

ORS 475.005 - 475.285

OAR 166-400-0010(17)

OAR 166-400-0060(29)

OAR 333-055-0000 -055-0115

OAR 581-021-0037

OAR 581-022-2220

OAR 851-047-0030

OAR 851-047-0040

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (2018); Family Educational Rights and Privacy, 34 C.F.R. Part 99 (2019).

Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Education, Medication Administration: A Manual for School Personnel.