Medication in primary schools

At some stage of their primary school journey, most children will need to take medication at school, whether that’s antibiotics for an ear infection or insulin to control their diabetes. All schools should have a policy that dictates how they will administer medicines, so how can you expect them to help your child?

If, however, your child does need medication during school hours, the following guidelines must be followed.

1. Only prescription medication should be brought into schools. This includes antibiotics, asthma inhalers, AAIs , insulin syringes and so on. However, changes to EYFS Framework allow for non-prescription medications, with written parental consent, to be brought in to EYFS settings (see below). It's best to check with your child's school to find out what their policy states. 

2. Medications must be brought into schools in their original container, as dispensed by a pharmacist, labelled with your child’s name. They must include instructions for administration, dosage and storage, as well as possible side effects. In some cases, schools will accept written instructions from a parent, but often, they will only administer medications if they come with the original patient information leaflet or written instructions from a doctor or pharmacist.

The exception to this is insulin, which can be brought into school inside an insulin injector pen or pump, rather than its original packaging.

3. You must provide written consent for your child to be given the medication. Most schools will have a form that you fill in. You will need to complete this form every time your child brings a new type of medication to school; it’s also likely to be reviewed annually.

4. All medications must be in date.

5. The smallest possible amount of medication should be brought into school. The exception to this is liquid medication, which can only be accurately and safely dispensed from the original container.

6. Medication should be kept in a secure place such as a locked cabinet or a sealed box in a fridge, according to storage instructions. Children must know where their medication is, and who to ask when they need it. However, medications that children may need to access quickly in an emergency should not be locked away. This includes asthma reliever inhalers and AAIs. These storage requirements apply not just on school premises, but also on trips and residential visits.

7. If a sharps box is required for the disposal of injectors, parents should obtain it on prescription and pass it on to the school.

8. You must collect any leftover medication that your child no longer needs, or medicines that have passed their expiry date, from the school. This should be done routinely at the end of every term.

9. Best practice is for schools to keep a record of children’s medication, including the date and time of each dose, how much was taken, and whether there were any side effects. This is mandatory for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.