Parent/Student Health Reminders

Administration of Medication

I. Certification by the physician or dentist that the medication is necessary is required in order for the student to remain in school. In the absence of such necessity as certified by the physician or dentist, no medication of any kind shall be administered to any student.

II. Medication brought to school must be in a labeled container and delivered to the school nurse or such other person as may be authorized in writing by the school principal. It will be kept in a locked cabinet in the nurse's office. No more than that amount of medication necessary for one (1) month shall be taken to or kept at school at any one time.

III. All medication shall be administered to the student by the school nurse. If the school nurse is not available for such purpose on any occasion, it may be administered to the student by such person or persons as have been authorized in writing by the principal of the school for such purpose. In some situations, physicians have requested in writing that students have immediate access to their inhalers at all times. Students may keep their inhalers on their person or they may be locked in the teacher's desk in the classroom with the approval of the Director of Health Services. If a student allows another student to use the inhaler, the privilege will be revoked. All designated staff must be inserviced by the school nurse before administering any medication to students.

IV. A log shall be maintained to record the administration of all medication. Such log will record the following information:

1. The name of the student.
2. The name of the doctor.
3. The name of the medication.
4. The date the medication was administered.
5. The dosage administered.
6. The time of day the medication was administered.
7. The name of the person administering the medication.

V. Medication Log Form No. 742 shall be used for this purpose and also for the purpose of written authorization by the principal of the person or persons who may administer medication in the absence of the school nurse.

The protocol for administering medication during school hours is as follows:

I. The nurse must administer all medications when she is in the building.

II. The principal must designate and authorize in writing another school district employee to administer prescribed medication to students who have a current medication permit on file when the nurse is not in the building.

III. The nurse must conduct an inservice on medication administration to the staff designated by the principal who will administer the medication and document the training on an Inservice Training Form.

In addition, the procedure listed below must be followed when students take medication on field trips during the day.

I. The nurse or designee (secretary, clerk, assistant principal) will:

A. Send the required amount of medication for the field trip in the original container and a copy of the Medication Permit with the staff designated by the principal. Additional pills remaining in the container will be placed in a medication envelope noting the student's name, number of pills and name of medication. The envelope will be placed in a locked medication cabinet; and,

B. Write in pencil on the Medication Log in the space dated for that day, the name of the staff member the medication was given to, time it was given to the person, field trip and number of pills. (Example: Mrs. Jones/9:15/field trip/2.)

II. The school employee (person who administered the medication):

A. Must initial the block on the Medication Log, note the time the medication was administered and sign the log immediately upon returning to school; and,

B. Must return the medication container to the nurse or office staff immediately upon returning to school.

III. The nurse or designee will transfer the pills in the envelope to the medication container and place in the locked medication cabinet.

IV. Principals should inform the nurse several days in advance when students are scheduled to go on field trips.

Nutrition Services

All Nutrition Services Department employees working in food preparation areas, as well as school nurses, must have a Food Handlers Certificate from the Fort Worth City Health Department in their possession before reporting to work the first day.

At the close of each school year, a seminar will be conducted for all employees of the Nutrition Services and Health Services Departments. Those employees may attend and receive a Fort Worth ISD Food Handlers Certificate, which can be used in lieu of the city certificate when working in a Fort Worth ISD school. Copies of these certificates will be kept on file in the Health Services Department and in the school in which the employee works. Nutrition Services managers must have the Food Protection Management Certification from the Texas Department of Health.

Preparation of Food

It is a violation of the Fort Worth City Ordinance to prepare food in the home or in a non-food service establishment and serve to the public. Items such as cupcakes, cookies and cakes that have been purchased from a permitted establishment (bakery, grocery store, etc.) may be served at school parties, carnivals and to the public.

All food activities should comply with all local health department ordinances and required permits. Serving food after school hours requires a permit from the City of Fort Worth even if it's done on a one-time basis. These ordinances serve to protect the public health of everyone in case a food-borne illness occurs due to improper preparation of food.

Faculty affairs where food items are not sold to the public or given away do not require a permit and may be prepared in the home and served at the function(s).