Administering medication to students: risk management for schools

In brief - Schools should be aware of latest guidelines for pain relief and use of EpiPens

Schools need to have policies which set out procedures for administering medication to students and regularly train staff in these policies.

School policies should address who can administer medication, when and how

A school and its teachers owe a non-delegable a duty of care to their students to provide a safe environment and to take reasonable care for their safety. As part of this, teachers are obliged to attempt to assist children who are injured or sick.

From time to time schools need to administer medication to their students, be they prescription only substances or over the counter pain relief, and occasionally schools are called upon to administer emergency medical assistance.