Medication Policy At
Brookdale Day Nursery we promote the good health of children attending nursery
and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection (see sickness and
illness policy). If a child requires medicine we will obtain information about
the child's needs for this, and will ensure this information is kept up to
date.
We
follow strict guidelines when dealing with medication of any kind in the
nursery and these are set out below.
Medication prescribed by a doctor,
dentist, nurse or pharmacist
(Medicines containing
aspirin will only be given if prescribed by a doctor)
Prescription
medicine will only be given to the person named on the bottle for the
dosage stated Medicines must
be in their original containers Those with
parental responsibility for any child requiring prescription medication
should hand over the medication to the most appropriate member of staff
who will then note the details of the administration on the appropriate form
and another member of staff will check these details Those with
parental responsibility must give prior written permission for the
administration of each and every medication. However, we will accept
written permission once for a whole course of medication or for the
ongoing use of a particular medication under the following circumstances: 1.
The
written permission is only acceptable for that brand name of medication and
cannot be used for similar types of medication, e.g. if the course of
antibiotics changes, a new form will need to be completed
2.
The
dosage on the written permission is the only dosage that will be administered.
We will not give a different dose unless a new form is completed
3.
Parents
must notify us IMMEDIATELY if the child's circumstances change, e.g. a dose has
been given at home, or a change in strength/dose needs to be given.
The nursery will
not administer a dosage that exceeds the recommended dose on the
instructions unless accompanied by written instructions from a relevant
health professional such as a letter from a doctor or dentist The parent must
be asked when the child has last been given the medication before coming
to nursery; and the staff member must record this information on the
medication form. Similarly when the child is picked up, the parent or
guardian must be given precise details of the times and dosage given
throughout the day. The parent's signature must be obtained at both times At the time of
administering the medicine, a senior member of staff will ask the child to
take the medicine, or offer it in a manner acceptable to the child at the
prescribed time and in the prescribed form. (It is important to note that
staff working with children are not legally obliged to administer
medication) If the child
refuses to take the appropriate medication then a note will be made on the
form Where medication
is 'essential' or may have side effects, discussion with the parent will
take place to establish the appropriate response. Non-prescription medication
The nursery will
not administer any non-prescription medication containing aspirin The nursery will
not administer calpol and ibuprofen to a child during the course of a day,
we will administer one OR the other. The nursery will
only administer non-prescription medication for a short initial period,
(for example Calpol will not be administered more than 3 days in a row),
dependant on the medication or the condition of the child. After this time
medical attention should be sought If the nursery
feels the child would benefit from medical attention rather than
non-prescription medication, we reserve the right to refuse nursery care
until the child is seen by a medical practitioner If a child does
exhibit the symptoms for which consent has been given to give
non-prescription medication during the day, and the child has some
medication on site then the nursery will always seek phone permission
before administering any non-prescription medication. For any
non-prescription cream for skin conditions e.g. Sudocrem, prior written
permission must be obtained from the parent and the onus is on the parent
to provide the cream which should be clearly labelled with the child's
name If any child is
brought to the nursery in a condition in which he/she may require
medication sometime during the day, the manager will decide if the child
is fit to be left at the nursery. If the child is staying, the parent must
be asked if any kind of medication has already been given, at what time
and in what dosage and this must be stated on the medication form As with any kind
of medication, staff will ensure that the parent is informed of any
non-prescription medicines given to the child whilst at the nursery,
together with the times and dosage given.
Staff medication
All
nursery staff have a responsibility to work with children only where they are
fit to do so. Staff must not work with children where they are infectious or
too unwell to meet children's needs. This includes circumstances where any
medication taken affects their ability to care for children, for example, where
it makes a person drowsy. If any staff member believes that their condition,
including any condition caused by taking medication, is affecting their ability
they must inform the manager and seek medical advice.
Where
staff may occasionally or regularly need medication, any such medication must
be kept either in the staff room or in the medication cabinet clearly labelled
or in the office if staff need easy access to the medication such as an asthma
inhaler. In all cases it must be stored out of reach of the children. It must
not be kept in the first aid box and should be clearly labelled with the name
of the member of staff.
Storage
All
medication for children must have the child's name clearly written on the
original container and kept in either one of the medication cabinets, in one of
the fridges or in the case of medication such as EpiPens or asthma inhalers
they can be stored in the main office: in all cases medication must be stored
out of reach of all children.
Emergency
medication, such as inhalers and EpiPens, will be within easy reach of staff in
case of an immediate need, but will remain out of children's reach.
Any
antibiotics requiring refrigeration must be kept in a fridge inaccessible to
children.
All
medications must be in their original containers, labels must be legible and
not tampered with or they will not be given. All prescription medications
should have the pharmacist's details and notes attached to show the dosage
needed and the date the prescription was issued. This will all be checked,
along with expiry dates, before staff agree to administer medication.
This
policy was updated
Signed
on behalf of the nursery
Date
for review
Jan
2020
Susan
Walker
Jan
2021