Ask the pharmacist: Medication tips for school-aged children
ARA
Packing a lunch, signing permission slips and laying out clean clothes for the morning are all part of parents' to-do lists when prepping for their children's day at school. But for parents of the 6.5 million American children being treated for a chronic medical condition, preparing for school also means putting pill bottles in backpacks along with lunchboxes.
"Like so many other healthy behaviors, learning the importance of taking your medicine as prescribed is better done sooner than later," says Paul Reyes, an Express Scripts' pharmacist and host of Ask the Pharmacist radio series. "For kids who need to take medicine to treat a chronic condition like asthma, attention deficit disorder or diabetes, having the support of parents and the school staff makes it easier and allows them to focus on their schoolwork rather than getting side-tracked by their health problem."
Paul offers important tips for parents whose child has to take prescription medications during the school day:
- Know your school's rules: Who is allowed to administer medication, and who fills in if that person is absent? Is your child allowed to carry the medicine and take it without supervision?
- Provide clear instructions: Prepare a typed list of all medications with warnings and storage requirements. Also include an action plan school staff can refer to in an emergency. Make sure your child, their teachers and the appropriate school administrator have current copies.
- Know how your child will receive the medication: Will he be expected to report to a certain place at a certain time, or will he be called to do so? What is the policy for field trips?
- Keep your child informed: Your child should be aware of the basics of their condition - signs of an allergic reaction, a flare-up, or side effects of the medication. Your child should know proper dosages, be able to recognize the medication and be aware of when and how often they are supposed to take it. Tell your child never to share or sell their medications to other students, and not to tamper with the medication.
- Discuss with your child how to handle others' reactions, as well as questions or taunts other kids might direct at your child. Try your best to make sure your child does not feel stigmatized.
- Keep tabs on the supply: If the medication will be stored at school, check often to ensure there is an adequate supply so there are no missed doses. Make sure the medication stays in its original container and label, and make sure that all the information is clear and easy to read.
- Have an a.m. game plan: School mornings can be hectic, so try to integrate the morning dose into the morning routine. Also have a back-up plan in place if that morning dose is missed and your child needs to take it at school.
Making sure children get their medication as prescribed takes a team effort from pharmacists, parents, educators and the kids themselves. Working together, the team can help ensure children go through the school year confident they're getting the medicine they need to stay healthy.
+ Top Story
Many women know that getting a Pap test regularly from their health care provider is a good way to check for signs of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide. What they might not know is that a “normal” Pap result does not necessarily mean they are cancer-free.
When you’re done with spring cleaning, you may assume you’ve eliminated any allergy triggers that were lurking in your home. But the truth is, if you don’t clean the right way, you might be making the problem worse.
Sixty Temple physicians have been named to Philadelphia magazine’s annual “Top Doctors” list. Nominated by their professional peers, the physicians on the list practice at Temple University Hospital, Fox Chase Cancer Center and Jeanes Hospital.
Managing diabetes just got a little bit easier. For the first time in history J.D. Power and Associates, the premier market research firm, has reviewed blood glucose meters based on feedback and insights from nearly 3,000 people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Don’t take the cinnamon challenge. That’s the advice from doctors in a new report about a dangerous prank depicted in popular YouTube videos but which has led to hospitalizations and a surge in calls to U.S. poison centers.
The Grammy Award-winning singer met with women who are part of an HIV program at United Medical Center in the nation’s capital Monday to discuss their experiences with the virus, including the fear and stigma associated with the disease.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as "Obama Care," an estimated 47 million women are gaining access to all FDA-approved methods of birth control free of charge. This new law provides access to birth control methods that may have been too expensive for many women...
Going out with co-workers or friends after work is a great way to relax, but when you host a happy hour at home, you have full control over the guest list, atmosphere, music and, most importantly, the menu. Use these simple tips to entertain your friends, and your home may...