Medications

All medications (both prescription and over the counter) must be brought to the school by the parent or guardian.

No student will be allowed to bring medication to school or on the bus.  Students may not have medication in their possession except with a physician's order for emergency situations only.  There is zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol in Forsyth County Schools. The clinic does not stock medication. All over the counter medications must be brought to school by a parent or guardian to be kept in the clinic.

Medications must be in their original container.  Medications brought in ziploc bags or other unmarked containers will not be given.  Prescription medications must be in the pharmacy container labeled with the child's name, date, name of medication, name of prescribing physician, time(s) medication is to be given and name of the pharmacy filling the prescription.  We request that you ask the pharmacist to give you two labeled prescription bottles so that you have one bottle at home and one at school.  For inhalers, please ask the pharmacist to apply the label around the inhaler, versus the box of the inhaler. 

Do not bring medication to school which needs to be given once daily or two/three times a day unless the physician specifically states a time during the school day for the medication to be given.  If the medication can be given at home, please do so.  We do not want the student’s class time interrupted unless medically necessary.

The parent/guardian must provide specific instructions, as well as the medication and related equipment to the school.  It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to inform the school of any changes in their student’s medical treatment.

New medications will not be given unless a new form is completed. A Request for Administration of Medication form must be completed by a parent/guardian.  The bottom portion of the form is to be completed by the physician for ANY long-term medication of more than two weeks or any prescription medication that will be kept in the clinic.

Due to the risk of Reye’s Syndrome in children under the age of 18, the school will require a physician’s signature in order to give any aspirin-containing medications including Aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, and Excedrin. All medications (including cough drops), herbals, and supplements must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and appear in the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

Inhalers: The physician may, by written order, initiate the guidelines allowing the student to carry the inhaler during school hours, to after-school sports or clubs, and on the bus. The Authorization for Students to Carry… form must be completed and signed by the physician. It is recommended that the clinic also have a backup inhaler in the event the student forgets their inhaler, or it is empty. The clinic also has a nebulizer machine available for students with doctor's orders. The student must provide a mouthpiece, tubing, and the nebulizer medication.

Epi-pens/Auvi-Q: The physician may, by written order, initiate the guidelines allowing the student to carry an Epi-pen during school hours, to after-school sports or clubs, and on the bus. The Authorization for Students to Carry… form must be completed and signed by the physician. It is recommended that the clinic also have a backup Epi-pen in the event the student forgets theirs. Students are NOT authorized to carry an antihistamine (Benadryl, Zyrtec) with them at school, only the epinephrine auto-injector.

End of the Year Medication Pick Up:  If medication is not picked up from the clinic by a parent/guardian, before or on the last day of school, it is considered abandoned. Abandoned medication will be destroyed in accordance with local, state, and federal laws/rules/guidelines by the school nurse and an administrator. We do not store medication over the summer to use for the next year.