Medication Guidelines

All Medication Guidelines can be found in the Code of Student Conduct page 58

If a student requires medication during school hours, the parent/guardian will need to follow these guidelines:

  1. ALL students with medications, both prescription and non-prescription, MUST have a PRESCRIBER/PARENT AUTHORIZATION FORM (PPA) completed and signed by both a doctor and a parent. You can download a copy HERE.

  2. ALL PRESCRIBER/PARENT AUTHORIZATION FORMS (PPA) must be renewed at the beginning of every school year AND anytime a change is made to the prescription by the doctor. Only the prescriber (MD, NP, PA) can change a medication order (dose, frequency, specific time, etc.). Cutting, crushing, or sprinkling a pill/tablet/capsule can be done only with a written prescriber order. Changes to the medication orders by a parent/guardian will not be accepted. All questionable changes will be verified with the prescriber by the school nurse.

    NOTE: Only one medication per PRESCRIBER/PARENT AUTHORIZATION FORM (PPA) is acceptable. If a student has multiple medications, a separate PPA must be completed/signed for each medication.

  3. ALL medications must be hand delivered by the parent or guardian to the office staff or nurse. This includes ALL students who "Self-Administer" and/or "Self Carry" medications. The nurse must verify all orders BEFORE students are allowed to carry and self-administer their medications. The nurse or certified medication assistant will count all controlled substances in the presence of the parent or guardian. The parent/guardian and the nurse or certified medication assistant will sign a form that indicates the medications were received, counted and secured by the school.

  4. The first dose of any NEW medication should NOT be given at school.

  5. ALL students with a prescription medication MUST have a current pharmacy prescription label attached to the original container. When a student has a sample from the doctor, the doctor MUST write a prescription label by hand and attach to the sample medication. The pharmacy prescription label information must be Identical to the PRESCRIBER/PARENT AUTHORIZATION FORM (PPA) information (dose, frequency, specific times, etc.) Any mismatch of information will not be accepted. ANY prescription label that states, "Use As Directed" is not acceptable per state guidelines. Directions MUST be specified.

  6. ALL prescription medications must:

    • Be in the original container with a current pharmacy prescription label attached

    • Have the correct student's name on the prescription label

    • Have a valid date of expiration. EXPIRED MEDICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

    • Not be mixed with any other medications (unless indicated on the label)

    • Have a completed Prescriber/Parent Authorization Form (PPA) signed by a doctor and a parent/guardian

  7. ALL Non-Prescription medications must:

    • Be new, unopened and sealed in the original container

    • Have no other medications mixed inside the container

    • Have a valid date of expiration. EXPIRED MEDICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

    • Have the student's name clearly marked on the original container

    • Have a completed Prescriber/Parent Authorization Form (PPA) signed by a doctor and a parent/guardian

  8. Inhalers 
    ALL students with inhalers must have a copy of the prescription label attached to the inhaler or the inhaler should be in the original prescription labeled box. The school office will need to make a copy of the original prescription label and keep it on file for the school nurse. The pharmacy can print a duplicate label and can apply it to the inhaler. This is especially helpful for a student who carries an inhaler at school and self-medicates.

  9. Epi-Pens (Epinephrine, Auvi-Q)
    ALL students with Epi-Pens, Auvi-Q, and other pre-filled single use epinephrine auto injectors must have a copy of the original pharmacy prescription label attached to the cartridge holder or the original box. A copy of the prescription label must be keep on file for the school nurse. The Prescriber/Parent Authorization Form (PPA) MUST specify the dose and route. "Use as Directed" is not acceptable per state guidelines. Directions MUST be specified.  

  10. Students may ONLY carry medications indicated for a "CHRONIC" health condition (asthma, diabetes, seizures, etc.). The doctor MUST indicate the "chronic" condition on the PPA and check the "kept on person" and/or "self-medication" box on the PPA. A parent must sign the "Self-Administration" area of the PPA AND sign the "Parent Authorization" area of the PPA.

  11. The parent or guardian will be notified when their child's medication is completed or becomes out of date. Expired medications will NOT be given at school. ALL student medications must be picked up by the last day of school, before summer break, or the medications will be destroyed per federal regulations (in the presence of a witness, as indicated). A letter will be sent home during the last weeks of school to help remind parents to pick up their child's medication. No medications will be kept at school over the summer.

  12. Some medications are not meant to be given during school hours. The school nurse reserves the right to refuse to administer certain medications unless a doctor has specifically written that the medication be given during school hours. Most medications will be given by the parent/guardian at home. Medications that are prescribed for three times per day should be given at home, just before leaving for school, upon returning home in the afternoon, and at bedtime. The only exception to this schedule is if the prescriber has ordered the medication to be given before or along with meals.

  13. When a student will be attending an alternative school, it is the parent's responsibility to transport his or her child's medicine to and from the student's home school and to and from the alternative school. If a parent cannot deliver the medication, it is the parent's responsibility to call his or her child's home school and speak with the school nurse. Medications can only be transported by school nurses or certified medication assistants.

  14. The parent/guardian should provide the school nurse with a list of possible side effects for medications taken over a 30-day period. Information regarding common potential side effects and adverse reactions will be made available to all certified medication assistants by the school nurse.

  15. Decatur City Schools follows the State of Alabama guidelines for the administration of medications to students. Only school nurses and certified medication assistants are legally allowed to administer medications to students in the State of Alabama.

DISCLAIMER: Decatur City School nurses do not take the place of a doctor. None of the information provided on this website is meant to replace a doctor.  Every student should have their own health care provider. The information on this website is meant for informational purposes only. Decatur City Schools, it's staff, teachers, and nurses are not responsible for anyone who does not follow the advice of their own physician or health care provider.