What happens if my child needs to take medication at school?
A professional nurse is responsible for all nursing services in the school, including medication administration and management. If your child needs to take medication at school and is learning to self-manage their medication, their Individualized Health Plan (IHP) should clarify important aspects of medication monitoring, including how medication will be administered, how the student’s health status will be monitored, where the medication will be stored and accessed, the location where care will be provided, and who will be providing the care. The IHP will also include medication plans for field trips and emergencies in addition to medication goals, such as your child working toward self-monitoring and reporting potential side effects to the parent and school nurse.
An IHP can be attached to the IEP or 504 plan (depending on state law), or it can be a separate document referenced by the IEP/504 team. To learn more, see our article Individualized Health Plan (IHP).