POLICY No: 323
Market: UK / Authorised: Kathy Judge / Date:21.09.2017 / Page 1 of 2MEDICATION POLICY
This Policy defines the arrangements for handling, storing and administering medication to children within the Setting:
1.It is policy that the written permission of the parent / guardian / carer must be obtained before medication may be administered to a child. Medication is received, stored and handled on the setting’s premises under this strict understanding. The parent / guardian / carer is asked to sign a general Declaration of Consent Form.
2.When a child is admitted to the setting, details of any medication that the child is currently receiving are required to be disclosed to a senior member of staff by the parent / guardian / carer.
3.Setting staff WILL ONLY administer medication to the child under the following conditions:
3.1 Where medication is prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist as part of treatment. Over-the-counter medicines or homeopathic remedies will NOT be administered.
3.2Where each item of medicine is packaged in its original container from the pharmacy and clearly labelled by the pharmacist with the child’s name, description of medicine, quantity of medicine, and instructions for administration. Staff will NOT accept medication in any other type of container.
3.3Where administering medication does not require a level of medical or technical knowledge for which Staff are not qualified.
3.4Emergency prescribed calpol for when a child’s temperature reaches above 39.
4.All medication received into the setting is logged onto a Medicine Administration Record – Individual Child. This Form provides for recording medicines received, doses given, and those returned to the parent / guardian / carer following discontinuation of use or completion of the course of treatment.
If a child is on medication, all staff are required to write this in the medicine book which is kept in the first aid cabinet. This is then checked by the manager or deputy to ensure the nursery is aware of all children that are on medication each day.
5.All medicines are stored in accordance with the instructions of the pharmacist or the medicine manufacturer (refer to container or package label as appropriate):
5.1 Except where low temperature storage is required all medicines are kept locked in the lockable first aid
cabinet in reception.
5.2Medicines requiring low temperature storage are kept in a designated refrigerator in a secure location. The temperature of this refrigerator is checked weekly with a calibrated thermometer; readings in excess of 7oC are reported to the manager for appropriate action.
5.3The manager is responsible for the safe keeping of the keys to the medicine containers.
POLICY No: 323 MEDICATION POLICY Page 2 of 2
6. Medication may only be given to a child by a Seniormember of staff with a level 3 Nursery Nurse as a witness. Each instance of administering medication is recorded on the Medicine Administration Record – Individual Child. The following details are recorded:
●date
●name of child
●type of medicine
●dosage given
●time given
●signature of qualified staff member
●signature of second staff member (as witness)
- What the medicine is for
- Has the child had this medicine before?
- Is the child on any other medicine?
7.Unused medication is returned to the parent / guardian / carer and logged onto the Medicine Administration Record - Individual Child. Where all medicines have been used up the empty medicine container is returned to the parent / guardian / carer and a record made onto the Medicine Administration Record - Individual Child.
- Medication that has passed its use by date will be returned to parent / carer.
- At the end of a course of treatment the Medicine Administration Record - Individual Child Form will be kept on file by the manager.
10.Details provided by the parent / guardian / carer on the original Registration Form will include provision of an emergency contact number and any other information relevant to emergency medical treatment of the child. Where a child requires emergency medical treatment the parent / guardian / carer will be notified immediately.
On the rare occasion that we are unable to contact parents or parents that work far away, parent/ carer will provide prescribed calpol which we will keep on site so that we can use in emergencies. If a child has a temperature of over 39f we are only then to administer emergency calpol and then request that the child is to be collected.
FORM REFERENCES:Form No: 3-03 Registration Form- Nursery
Form No: 3-04 Declaration of Consent
Form No: 3-07 Consent Withheld Form
Form No: 3-40 Medicine Administration Record - Individual Child
Please can you sign and date below to show you have read and understood the MEDICATION POLICY above. If you require further information then please see Leanne Coward.
Name / Signature / Date