Who Dispenses Pharmaceuticals to Children at School?

Abstract:
Use of both prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals has increased among children. Many of these drugs are taken during school hours and dispensed by school personnel who are not health professionals and know little or nothing about the drugs themselves or the medical conditions requiring their use. This survey examined the extent to which pharmaceuticals are dispensed in schools in one Florida county. Elementary, middle, and high schools were surveyed for one week, and all medications dispensed by school personnel during that time were recorded. Of 28,134 children surveyed, 1,016 children received 5,411 doses of medication. Thirty-one categories of drugs were dispensed, including controlled substances. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) was the most widely dispensed drug, comprising about half of all the medications given in school. The authors note that the Office of School Health Programs at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center developed a set of recommendations for establishing policies and procedures for medicine administration in schools. If every state or school district--assisted by parent groups, health professionals, and school administrators--used these recommendations to formulate medication policies and procedures, the resulting standard of practice would ensure the best possible environment for the delivery of medications to all children in schools.

Author(s): FRANCIS, Elaine Esielionis; HEMMAT, Joanna Persis; TRELOAR, Donna M.; and YARANDI, Hosssein

Publication: Journal of School Health, Vol. 66, No. 10, pp. 355-358


Date Published: 12/1/1996

Pages: 4

Location Code: 8192