| |
| | | |  | Search
|
| | | | | | |
| | | | News |  | |  | Print This Page |  | Medication Errors in School
April 10, 2006
LA Times Medication errors are highly prevalent in school settings, in which school personnel dispense hundreds of medications to thousands of students each day. Today, about 5% of school children receive medication during a typical school day. Laws that require US schools to dispense drugs were originally designed to protect children with critical medical problems—asthma and diabetes—who would not be safe at school if without essential medications. Despite these laws and the strict guidelines that accompany them, drugs dispensed at school are associated with high medication error rates. Currently, the dramatic increase in the number of children taking various medications that often only improve concentration or enhance academic performance has multiplied this risk of drug errors. Half of the school nurses surveyed in 2000 reported that medication problems had occurred in their schools during the previous year. Missed doses represent the greatest error, with inappropriately high doses being the second most prevalent error. Rarely, students receive the wrong medicine. Fault for these errors is attributed to a shortage of school nurses and the schools' reliance on other staff members to administer medications, a serious concern because medication errors increased three-fold when non-medical personnel dispensed medications. Solutions to these errors include limiting or eliminating nonessential OTC medications being dispensed at school. Also, essential medications should be given before or after school by parents, and time-release formulations are being suggested for morning administrations. When drugs are absolutely necessary at school, a physician should provide a written statement authorizing the staff to dispense the medication as well as information about possible side effects, and medication changes should be reported immediately to the school. |
|
280 Calhoun Street, PO Box 250140, Charleston, SC 29425 | 866.200.1968 toll-free | 843.792.2620 fx
| | | | |
|
