New Law Requires More School Training to Dispense Medication (WI)
January 25, 2011
Public schools have someone designated to administer an EpiPen, a diabetes shot or oral medication when a student needs it.
Exactly who that is and the kind of training they receive depends on the school. But starting March 1, schools will need to ensure whoever administers medication has taken training approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to comply with changes to Wisconsin law.
"These changes have been done to enhance the safety of students taking medicine in school," said Patrick Gasper, DP I spokesman.
Onalaska, La Crosse, Holmen and West Salem school district officials said it would be an exceptional circumstance for a student to self-administer medication in school. Officials say typically health aids or nurses who receive annual and continued training give medications to students.
But the law will require training for teachers who may occasionally need to administer medication on a field trip. In the past, these teachers would take basic instruction from a school nurse.
Everyone shares the same interest in the safety of students, but the training requirement will strain nursing resources, said Andrea Van Sickle,district nurse for Onalaska schools. Training is available online through the DPI website, but Van Sickle said the two Onalaska School District nurses will also need to do skills checks with teachers learning to administer non-oral medication.
Because of expenses such as supplies for training demonstrations, the change will cost money, said Rich Johnson, director of pupil services for the Holmen School District.
"In a time of tight budgets, any additional dollars are hard to come by- this basically is an unfunded mandate," Johnson said.
About 150 students in the La Crosse School District last year received daily, scheduled medication across 15 schools.
More than 10,000 visits were made to Onalaska School District health rooms last school year to receive medication, Van Sickle said.
That medication may be for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other medical conditions such as seizures or diabetes. The office health staff are also trained to deal with emergencies such as using an EpiPen for a student with severe allergies.
The area school district policies state that students need to provide medication in the original container to the school to administer – even Tylenol. Exceptions are granted in some cases such as a student who uses an inhaler for asthma.
Self-administering creates risks of students sharing medication, said Connie Troyanek, nurse with West Salem School District.
"We want to ensure that the kids are getting the correct dose, at the right time and for the right reason," Troyanek said.
Students carrying pills around also causes concern about legal and illegal use of drugs, Van Sickle said.