October 2012 Web – New Law 16-21-22

On June 4, 2012, Governor Chaffee signed into law a bill pertaining to school health programs to incorporate a procedure for addressing incidents of anaphylaxis of medically identified students who ride the school bus. The policy shall include a procedure whereby a parent or legal guardian of any child may expressly authorize the school bus drivers and monitors to administer the epinephrine on his or her child in case of an emergency. This procedure will ensure that the epinephrine is kept in a conspicuous place, readily available and that their proper use is made known to school personnel. School bus drivers and monitors shall receive training in the administration of epinephrine. To treat a case of anaphylaxis, trained school bus drivers (First Student Bus Company) and /or monitors shall administer the epinephrine auto-injector to an identified student.

Medication policies shall also include a procedure to allow children to carry and use prescription inhalers, and auto-injectable epinephrine, while in school, at a school event or in transit to and from school by the school bus service provider. Just as Jamestown School has a medication policy to administer school doses; parents who wish their child to self carry their auto-injectable epinephrine must allow follow the same guidelines. Parents shall provide the bus service company and school of their child's allergy and the need to administer epinephrine in an allergic emergency.

No school personnel, school bus driver or monitor, shall be liable for civil damages which may result from acts or omissions in use of the epinephrine which may constitute ordinary negligence.

The student's parents and/or guardians are responsible for supplying and replacing when necessary all prescription medication that is authorized pursuant to this bill.

Letters were sent home or mailed to parents of medically identified students who have a child with an allergy requiring auto-injector epinephrine. In this letter, I stated the procedure to follow for student safety: doctor's orders, their written permission, labeled and current Epi-pen, emergency form with child's photo, emergencies numbers to contact the parent once the pen is given. A recommendation was made that these children wear some form of Medical Alert jewelry as another identifier in the event they are not responding to verbal stimulus. As with all medication kept in school nurse's office, neither School Department nor the bus company will be held responsible if medication is lost or stolen. Should the parent opt not to have their child self carry on the bus, their auto-injector and inhalers will be sent on school field trips off site.

Screenings for October: Vision in Kindergarten, Hearing in Grade 6