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 medications adminsitered once or twice per day. 

All medication(s) 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. 

Over-The-Counter (OTC) medications are given according to instructions on the original label for up to 10 days with a parent written request on the Short Term Medication Authorization Form. If the OTC medication is to be given for longer than 10 days, or at a different dose/frequency than on the label, a physician’s order is required in addition to the parent written request on the Medication Authorization Form / En Español. Medications will ONLY be provided according to instructions on the label and for FDA approved uses unless further documentation is provided by the physician.   

Prescription medications require both physician’s order and parent written request on a Medication Authorization Form / En Español. 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 or a severe allergy 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. 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. 

Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen may be carried by students at the high school level if several considerations are met.

If the medication will be used for less than a 10 day period, the Short Term Medication Authorization Form must be completed by the parent, and the form must indicate that the student may self-carry. This is an approval for less than 10 days only.

If the medication will be used for longer than a 10 day period, the Medication Authorization Form / En Español must be completed by both the parent and physician, and the form must indicate that the student may self-carry. A copy of this form should be turned into the nurse and a copy should be kept with the medication bottle in the student’s backpack as well. In addition, the medication must be in the originally marked labeled container.

Absolutely no baggies with medications will be allowed on campus. The student is not allowed to share the medication with any other student at any time. Failure of the student to follow this guideline will result in immediate confiscation of the medication and loss of privileges if medication policies are abused or ignored. In addition, failure to follow these guidelines may result in disciplinary action by administration.

Students may be allowed to self-carry certain medications while on school campus or at a campus related event such as 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 / En Español, 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 or, if there is not a school nurse, in the office of the principal of the school the student attends.

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