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Against school rules

From cough syrup to antibiotics, schools uneasy about medication on campus.

The next time your child is feeling under the weather, better think twice before slipping that cold pill or bottle of cough syrup in their backpack when sending them off to school.

Most schools don’t just frown on students bringing medication, prescription or over-the-counter, on campus, they forbid it. Although it may seem a harmless practice that has gone on for decades, most school districts include a rule banning unauthorized medication in their policy manuals.

But those lines may be overlooked. In some cases, the penalty for getting caught with ibuprofen or Sudafed that is not properly cleared with school officials beforehand can range from a warning to suspension.

In the Kyrene School District, parents must contact the health office at their child’s school if their child needs to take prescription medication during school hours. Lead nurse Melissa Dardis says that parents must complete the appropriate paperwork for medication that is prescribed by a physician, as well as over-the counter remedies. This is protocol at most schools throughout the state. Medication must be given in the health office with the nurse’s supervision, and is not given in the first and last hours of the school day to prevent accidental overdose.

"Sometimes kids bring medications that parents don’t know they brought. The handbook has the rules, but it is not a punishable offense. We want them to understand why it’s important to go to the health office, so we know it’s legit and know why they’re taking it," Dardis says.

"We encourage parents to work with doctors to work (giving) medications outside of school hours. The important thing is to keep the lines of communication open. Most parents are very supportive. They understand the rationale."

Chronic health conditions such as asthma or diabetes that require sudden or regular doses are exceptions to the rules. With written parental consent and specific instructions, students may be able to self-medicate if their conditions warrant it.

In the Scottsdale Unified School District, students who are caught with over-the-counter medication or giving them to classmates may face the same discipline as those caught with illegal drugs, according to the district code of conduct handbook. While suspension is on the extreme end of the penalty scale, the medication is usually confiscated and parents are called.

At the Scottsdale Unified School District, this policy has been in place for more than 20 years, according to health services coordinator Tori Trahan. She says the taking of medication is encouraged to be done off campus, before or after the school day.

"Students should not be carrying any medication of their own. It’s a plain safety issue," she says.

Parents must also heed a new health regulation this year. The Arizona Department of Health has required all public school students entering grades pre-kindergarten through two, seven and eight, be immunized against chickenpox. Trahan says this will be a requirement for every grade by 2010. She says it has not yet been a problem for parents since many children are immune once they catch the common childhood illness. However, those who have never had the chickenpox, or Varicella, virus would have to be immunized.