Medication Use

What If My Student Needs to Take Medication at School?

Parents may provide medication to be administered to their student by school staff in accordance with district policy if the medication is necessary for the student to remain in school.

Before any medication can be administered by school staff, the following requirements must be met:

1. The medication must be provided in its original packaging.

2. The student’s parent or legal guardian must complete and sign an Authorization for Medication Administration by Bend-La Pine Schools Personnel (English / Spanish).

3. Prescription medications must have a label from an Oregon-licensed pharmacist. Otherwise, the authorization form must be signed by an Oregon-licensed healthcare provider*.

4. For over-the-counter medications to be administered differently than the packaging instructions and for medications that have not been approved by the FDA, the authorization form must be signed by an Oregon-licensed healthcare provider*. Alternatively, the provider may provide a signed note with detailed instructions.

5. For daily medications, the specific administration time must be noted on the prescription label. Otherwise, the authorization form must include the administration time and be signed by an Oregon-licensed healthcare provider*.

Oregon law requires medications to be administered within 30 minutes of the time ordered by the healthcare provider. If the medication cannot be taken at the same time every day, the prescriber may provide a note indicating the window of time it is to be administered. For example, if the medication should be taken with lunch, but the student’s lunch time changes on School Improvement Wednesdays, the provider may order the medication to be given between 11:00am and 1:30pm.

Please note: Over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) cannot be administered for treatment of fever. Students must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to school. Please review our guidelines on when to keep your student home for more information.

What If I Want My Student to Carry His or Her Own Medicine at School?

Students in grades 6-12 may carry and administer their own medication without assistance from school staff if the following requirements are met:

1. The medication must be carried in its original packaging.
2. The student’s parent/guardian and the student must sign an Authorization for Medication Administration by Self (English / Spanish).
3. The student must meet with a Bend-La Pine Schools registered nurse and demonstrate their ability, developmentally and behaviorally, to self-administer the medication.
4. Prescription medications must be contained in packaging with a label from an Oregon-licensed pharmacist. Otherwise, the authorization form must be signed by an Oregon-licensed healthcare provider*.
5. For medication that has not been approved by the FDA, the authorization must be signed by an Oregon-licensed healthcare provider*.

If the medication is in a tablet, pill, or capsule form, the student may only carry the amount of medication needed for a school day.

Emergency medications such as epinephrine and glucagon may be self-carried by students in grades K-5. Parents are strongly encouraged to provide back-up medications to be kept in a secured location at the school, regardless of the student’s age.

What about cough drops, ointments, and topical creams?

Anything containing a medication requires authorization by a parent/guardian. Many cough drops and lozenges have menthol as an active ingredient. Many ointments and creams contain antibiotics like bacitracin or steroid medications such as hydrocortisone. If you are unsure whether something qualifies as a medication, please contact your student’s school and request to speak with the consulting registered nurse.

Click here for more information on medications at school.

* Oregon-licensed healthcare provider means a Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Physician Assistant (PA), Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Pharmacist (PharmD), Dentist (DDS), Optometrist (OD), or Naturopathic Doctor (ND).

Authorization for Medication Administration by BLP Personnel form (English/Spanish)

Authorization for Medication Administration by SELF form. (English/Spanish)