OT - what's your school's policy on OTC drugs (like Tylenol)?

[Magpie]

I've heard so many horror stories about kids getting busted for having Tylenol in their possession that I was nervous about how my son's high school would react to him bringing painkillers to school.

Back story - my 13yo son sliced the tip of his thumb off Wednesday night. Took off about half his nail and a good chunk of the pad of his thumb, cutting the small artery. Fortunately, he found the bit he'd lost and a plastic surgery resident sewed it back on for him at the ER.

Anyway, he's taking one extra-strength Advil and one extra-strength Tylenol every four hours to control the pain. I called the high school yesterday to find out if he could bring his painkillers to school with him. Turns out it's no problem! The only thing they said is that they can't remind him to take his drugs (I said, "If he needs to be reminded, then he clearly doesn't need to take them!") and they can't give them to him or help him open the bottle or anything like that. So since child safe bottle caps are defeating him at the moment, I put them in a plastic baggie along with a signed and dated note indicating what they were.

I was very impressed with how sane and reasonable our school's policy was. And now I'm wondering...

What's YOUR school's policy on OTC drugs, like Tylenol? Are the horror stories about kids getting arrested or expelled only news because they almost never happen? Are most schools actually relaxed about this kind of thing?

 

[smitch425]

I've heard so many horror stories about kids getting busted for having Tylenol in their possession that I was nervous about how my son's high school would react to him bringing painkillers to school.

Back story - my 13yo son sliced the tip of his thumb off Wednesday night. Took off about half his nail and a good chunk of the pad of his thumb, cutting the small artery. Fortunately, he found the bit he'd lost and a plastic surgery resident sewed it back on for him at the ER.

Anyway, he's taking one extra-strength Advil and one extra-strength Tylenol every four hours to control the pain. I called the high school yesterday to find out if he could bring his painkillers to school with him. Turns out it's no problem! The only thing they said is that they can't remind him to take his drugs (I said, "If he needs to be reminded, then he clearly doesn't need to take them!") and they can't give them to him or help him open the bottle or anything like that. So since child safe bottle caps are defeating him at the moment, I put them in a plastic baggie along with a signed and dated note indicating what they were.

I was very impressed with how sane and reasonable our school's policy was. And now I'm wondering...

What's YOUR school's policy on OTC drugs, like Tylenol? Are the horror stories about kids getting arrested or expelled only news because they almost never happen? Are most schools actually relaxed about this kind of thing?

This is from our high school's online handbook...

MEDICATION
Students who take medication during the school day must have signed
authorization from their physician and parents. This “Physician’s Request” form
may be obtained from the Main Office. Once this form is completed, students
should bring the medication to school where it will be secured in a locked
cabinet. It is the student’s responsibility to report to the office in order to take the
medicine.

ETA: Here is the elementarty handbook info...

Medication – Students requiring medication must have on file in the office a school medical form signed by a parent and a physician. All medication will be taken under supervision of designated school personnel. Students are not to transport medication to school. The medication must be brought to the office by the parent/guardian. The school will send home the empty prescription bottle to let you know that medication needs to be replenished. However, the student is not permitted to transport the replenished prescription to school. All medications must be in the original bottle and have the current pharmacy label attached.
Students are not permitted to carry any medication during school hours. This would include but is not limited to sinus medication, nasal spray, eye drops, aspirin, etc. Cough drops are permitted, but must be given to the teacher at the onset of the school day in order that he/she dispenses the cough drops. An exception to this rule can be made for needed inhalerswith a signed medical form on file. Contact the school nurse to make needed arrangements. Medication in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous. Please follow the process above if this situation pertains to your child/children.

 

[Magpie]

This is from our high school's online handbook...

MEDICATION
Students who take medication during the school day must have signed
authorization from their physician and parents. This “Physician’s Request” form
may be obtained from the Main Office. Once this form is completed, students
should bring the medication to school where it will be secured in a locked
cabinet. It is the student’s responsibility to report to the office in order to take the
medicine.

Interesting... My son's pills are in his lunch box.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

My son (now 11) has suffered from migraines for years now. Doctor says he may outgrow them. If he does not take tylenol it eventually gets so bad he vomits. For the past 2 years now I have always kept one tylenol tablet wrapped in a tissue in a small hidden compartment in his schoolbag. It has saved him many times. I never thought to call and ask if this was allowed but then what harm is it doing?

 

[Magpie]

My son (now 11) has suffered from migraines for years now. Doctor says he may outgrow them. If he does not take tylenol it eventually gets so bad he vomits. For the past 2 years now I have always kept one tylenol tablet wrapped in a tissue in a small hidden compartment in his schoolbag. It has saved him many times. I never thought to call and ask if this was allowed but then what harm is it doing?

I wouldn't think any harm... but I'd wonder what the consequences would be if he got caught taking one.

I found this article interesting, as the writer does the same thing you do, for the same reason:

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/sending-drugs-to-school-with-your-child/

I'm a little shocked that 400mg of Ibuprofen (aka Advil) is considered "prescription strength" in the US. It's over-the-counter here. That's exactly what I sent my son to school with.

 

[Erin1700]

We have to have a signed drs note and the meds must be kept in the nurses office. I dont know what would happen if you were caught with it.

My DD only ever needs meds after her surgery and we have to fill out the form and drop it off at the nurse. The weird part is they just send it home with the kids at the end of the year. When she was younger and needed to have Motrin at school incase of sudden onset of fever, they just sent home the whole bottle with her at the end of the year.

I wonder how the girls survive their time of the month? Must they go get an advil at the nurse for cramps? When I was a kid you just brought it in your pocketbook.

 

[NotUrsula]

My son (now 11) has suffered from migraines for years now. Doctor says he may outgrow them. If he does not take tylenol it eventually gets so bad he vomits. For the past 2 years now I have always kept one tylenol tablet wrapped in a tissue in a small hidden compartment in his schoolbag. It has saved him many times. I never thought to call and ask if this was allowed but then what harm is it doing?

At some schools that have zero-tolerance policies, the presence of that one tylenol tablet in his bookbag would be enough to get him expelled. I'd advise you to check your school handbook and go through whatever channels are required to let him legitimately have the meds that he needs without taking a risk of disciplinary consequences.

 

[dzorn]

Interesting... My son's pills are in his lunch box.

Around her he would be suspended for it.

Denise in MI

 

[dragonfly08]

Here, all medications - prescription and OTC - must be dispensed through the school clinic. In elementary and middle school a parent/guardian has to personally bring the medication in; high school students can transport their own meds to the clinic. And there has to be paperwork on file indicating the specific medication, purpose, and dosage. For OTC meds, parents can give permission for up to 10 days of use. Beyond that a note from a doctor is required.

Yes, that means a high schooler in my county can't even pop a cough drop by him/herself. They have a zero tolerance policy. On one hand it's sort of ridiculous, but I also understand the position of not wanting to make judgments about what's ok and what's not, and instead just applying the same rules to everybody.

 

[dzorn]

My son (now 11) has suffered from migraines for years now. Doctor says he may outgrow them. If he does not take tylenol it eventually gets so bad he vomits. For the past 2 years now I have always kept one tylenol tablet wrapped in a tissue in a small hidden compartment in his schoolbag. It has saved him many times. I never thought to call and ask if this was allowed but then what harm is it doing?

Because they don't know what the pill is. So should the school ignore a kid taking drugs at school?

Denise in MI

 

[shoney]

In middle school they are allowed to go down to the nurses office and call mom or dad to bring them medicine. You give it to them and they go back to class.

Not sure about the younger grades. I never tried it.

If they administer, you must have a doctors note. Our fifth graders go on a 2night/3day trip to Camp Mariah in NY. They must bring a doctors note for everything....bug spray, sunscreen etc... It must also be specific "stating exactly what brand, etc". Then all labeled stuff goes to the nurses office and is brought on the trip. My pediatrician thought that was hysterical!

 

[Erin1700]

I know our kids can take cough drops. My 5th grader said the boy she sits next to in math class eats them like candy. I never sent her with any and actually thought she might have been mistaken but she pointed out the kinds he "eats" at the store.
But like I said earlier, everything else is drs note and in the office.

 

[Colleen27]

At our school there's the official policy and then there is what's actually done. Officially all meds have to be left in the office to be taken under supervision regardless of grade/age, and require a parent's note on file. The only thing kids are officially allowed to carry are rescue inhalers. Unofficially, carrying cough drops and common OTC meds like Motrin, Midol, and Tylenol at the middle/high school level don't result in disciplinary action.

 

[Colleen27]

Because they don't know what the pill is. So should the school ignore a kid taking drugs at school?

Denise in MI

Tylenol, at least if you buy the name brand and not generic/store brand, says Tylenol on each and every pill. If the kid has a dealer good enough to provide an illicit drug in a convincing look-alike form the school probably wouldn't realize if he was taking it in the office either!

 

[dzorn]

Tylenol, at least if you buy the name brand and not generic/store brand, says Tylenol on each and every pill. If the kid has a dealer good enough to provide an illicit drug in a convincing look-alike form the school probably wouldn't realize if he was taking it in the office either!

Yes but if he has already swallowed it how do you tell.

Denise in MI

 

[Magpie]

Tylenol, at least if you buy the name brand and not generic/store brand, says Tylenol on each and every pill. If the kid has a dealer good enough to provide an illicit drug in a convincing look-alike form the school probably wouldn't realize if he was taking it in the office either!

Plus it'd be a whole lot easier to disguise the drugs as Smarties or gummy bears and then kids could pack them in their lunch and eat them by the handful at recess without the teachers batting an eye.

 

[Magpie]

Yes but if he has already swallowed it how do you tell.

Denise in MI

Are his pupils dilated? Is he acting high?

 

[jeepgirl30]

My son (now 11) has suffered from migraines for years now. Doctor says he may outgrow them. If he does not take tylenol it eventually gets so bad he vomits. For the past 2 years now I have always kept one tylenol tablet wrapped in a tissue in a small hidden compartment in his schoolbag. It has saved him many times. I never thought to call and ask if this was allowed but then what harm is it doing?

My DD11 also suffers from migraines. At our school we have to send in an unopened bottle with a drs note saying she needs it. All medication (OTC included) has to at the nurses office.

Dehydration is a huge trigger for DD. I even had to get a doc note saying she needs a water bottle with her and a hall pass to refill often.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Untill this year, our system had a no tollerance pollicy for ALL students carting medications; gades K-12. No child could carry any medication and if they were found with it , automatic 5 days. This year, high school kids can carry and self depense one dose of an over the counter paiin reliever.
they may not give it to anyone else. However the policy has change for all other situations to read that a doctors note is REQUIRED for even over the counter medications. I do get it, but would not be happy not to be able to send my child permission for a tylenol or cough medication with out the doctors note.

I would not recommend letting your child carry Tylenol "hidden" in his book bag. It could create ALL kinds of trouble for him and for you.

 

[2girlsR2good]

At our school there's the official policy and then there is what's actually done. Officially all meds have to be left in the office to be taken under supervision regardless of grade/age, and require a parent's note on file. The only thing kids are officially allowed to carry are rescue inhalers. Unofficially, carrying cough drops and common OTC meds like Motrin, Midol, and Tylenol at the middle/high school level don't result in disciplinary action.

This. Our students are driving, carry credit cards, and can purchase Tylenol on the way to school for crying out loud. Many of them are now old enough to vote too. Our faculty have enough to do without watching to see who might be surreptitiously trying to alleviate a headache. You should see the number of kids on crutches and in slings this time of year (late football season). In the spring, it'll be the soccer girls.

I get that schools with serious drug/discipline issues feel they have to issue zero tolerance rules, but that's not our planet.