Medication safety is of the utmost importance to Hays CISD. The district provides registered nurses on each campus to provide care for students including medication administration. In the event that a nurse is not available, trained school staff are available to provide medications per policy. Medications should be given at home whenever possible such as administered once or twice per day. 

All medication (including over the counter and prescription) must be in the originally marked labeled container and must be provided by the parent or guardian.  All medications must be kept in the nurse’s office unless the student is cleared by both the physician and school nurse to self-carry. All narcotics/controlled medication must be kept in the nurse’s office at all times. All medication to be administered by District staff shall be provided according to the Medication Policy FFAC. First doses of medications shall not be given at school. Expired Medications will not be given. No more than a 30 day supply of medications may be kept on campus. 

Prescription and over the counter medications require both a licensed healthcare provider’s order and parent written request on a Medication Authorization Form. District employees will not give a student prescription medication, nonprescription medication, herbal substances, anabolic steroids, or dietary supplements, except as outlined below. Medication that must be administered to a student during school hours must be provided by the student’s parent. All medication, whether prescription or nonprescription, must be kept in the nurse’s office and administered by the nurse or another authorized district employee, unless the student is authorized to possess his or her own medication because of asthma, severe anaphylactic allergy, and/or diabetes as described below or as otherwise allowed by law. Only authorized employees, in accordance with policy FFAC, may administer medications.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NURSE MUST HAVE THE PRESCRIPTION LABEL. The prescription label must also match the healthcare provider order. Most often it is easiest to bring the prescription box to school with the medication. If you do not have a prescription label take the medication to your pharmacy as they can usually reprint a label for school. In addition, many parents administer medications at home as well as at school. A pharmacy can split medications between bottles with prescription labels on each to allow for a bottle at school.

Students may be allowed to self-carry certain medications while on school campus or at a campus related event such as anaphylaxis, diabetes, and asthma medications. The student must demonstrate to the student's physician or other licensed health care provider and the school nurse, the skill level necessary to self-administer the prescription medication, including the use of any device required to administer the medication. 

A student with asthma, anaphylaxis, or diabetes may possess and self-administer prescription medicine while on school property or at a school-related event or activity if the following conditions are met:

1. the prescription medicine has been prescribed for that student as indicated by the prescription label on the medicine;
2. the student has demonstrated to the student's physician or other licensed health care provider and the school nurse, the skill level necessary to self-administer the prescription medication, including the use of any device required to administer the medication;
3. the self-administration is done in compliance with the prescription or written instructions from the student's physician or other licensed health care provider; and
4. a parent of the student provides to the school a written authorization, signed by the parent and licensed health care provider on the Medication Authorization Form, stating
   • that the student has asthma or anaphylaxis and is capable of self-administering the prescription medicine;
   • the name and purpose of the medicine;
   • the prescribed dosage for the medicine;
   • the times at which or circumstances under which the medicine may be administered; and
   • the period for which the medicine is prescribed.
5. The physician's statement must be kept on file in the office of the school nurse of the school the student attends.

Please note that a student requiring medication for sports must also register the medication with the school nurse. 

Students requiring prescription narcotic pain relievers may not attend school while requiring narcotics for pain management. Narcotic pain relievers affect the central nervous system causing drowsiness and put the student at higher risk for falls. This does not allow for an optimal learning environment for the student and becomes a safety risk as well. It is preferable that a student remain at home until they are able to transition to an over-the-counter (OTC) medication such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin).

However, we recognize that there are circumstances when small doses of narcotic pain relievers may be required if your student is unable to transition fully to OTC medications. If a student is taking prescription narcotics at the highest dose and/or time intervals, the student should remain at home until pain is better controlled. If the student has transitioned to a lower dose and longer time interval the student may be allowed to attend school and receive the medication on campus if certain requirements are met. In these cases, the student should not drive to and from school. The medication must be kept in the nurse’s office. In addition, the district medication administration form must be signed by a parent/guardian and the prescribing physician before the medication can be provided by the nurse.

If the medications are provided for an injury, the nurse may take extra precautions such as early release from class and elevator passes while the student receives the medications.