My child needs medication during the school day. What do I need to do?
All medication, be it prescription or over-the-counter (e.g. triple antibiotic ointment, cough drops, Tylenol, vitamins, etc.), require a physician's order and a parent authorization to administer medication form. If your child's physician prefers to use their own “order” instead of the one provided by Foxborough Public Schools, that is fine; however, parents/guardians will need to fill out our parent authorization to administer medication form. Physicians are welcome to fax orders directly to me at 508-543-1695.
You can find both forms (Medication Order and Parent Authorization Form) under the "More" tab at the top of this page. Click on the word "More" and a drop down menu will appear. Click on "health forms," and it will bring you to the page where you can download both forms.
All medications, even over-the-counter medications, need to be dropped off and picked up by an adult. You cannot send medication in with your child, nor will medication be sent home with your child at the end of the year. The exception to this is inhalers and epi pens, because these medications are considered life saving medications.
If your child has a hard time swallowing pills and/or taking medication in general, perhaps you find it best to put the medication in pudding or applesauce, or follow the "yucky" taste with some apple juice, etc. I'm happy to administer the medication in the manner that it will be best received, so feel free to bring in yogurt, apple sauce, pudding, juice chasers, etc. If it warrants a spoon, please bring in a supply of that as well. I will always let you know when your child's medication supply is running low, and the same holds true for the foods they need to get the medication down, so to speak.
If your child is going to be on a short-term medication, a physician order is not required. A short-term medication is a medication that is going to be used for no longer than 2 week's time (e.g. antibiotics). The reason why a physician's note isn't needed is because the prescription label on a short-term medication is sufficient. You will need to bring in the medication with a prescription label on the original packaging, and you'll still need to fill out a parent authorization for medication administration form. If you're picking up a medication that is in liquid form (e.g. amoxicillin), ask the pharmacist to put just enough medication into a second bottle that can be left at school for the two-week duration. They will need to put a prescription label on the bottle. It is likely not feasible to get the medication back and forth to school daily (parent would need to bring in and drop off daily), so getting a second bottle of medication to be left at school is ideal. I do have a refrigerator in the nursing office, so if your child's medication requires refrigeration, that is not a problem.
If you plan to bring in medication, per the MA Department of Public Health, I can only accept 20 days worth of doses at a time; hence, a month's worth. If you child takes pills that require a pill to be split in half, I ask that you bring them in already pre-cut. If you bring in physician orders for tums, children's pepto, Tylenol, Ibuprofen or Benadryl, you do not need to bring in your own supply. These medications are part of my stock, so I can provide that medication to them.
Lastly, all medication, be it prescription or over-the-counter medication, needs to come in in its original packaging. Prescription medication must have a prescription label affixed to the actual medication (e.g. a tube of ointment, prescription bottle, etc.). If the medication came in a box, and the prescription label was on the box (e.g. an inhaler), you must bring in the box along with the actual inhaler. It is your responsibility to stop by on or before the last day of school to retrieve any of the medication you brought to school during the school year. Any medication that is not retrieved prior to 3pm on the last day of school will be disposed of. Again, only epi pens and inhalers can be sent home in a child's back pack because they are considered life saving medication. No other medication will be sent home with a child. It needs to be picked up by a responsible adult.