The regulations concerning management of medicines are governed by
EYFS Framework (EYFS: 3.19, 3.45, 3.46) and is interpreted by the nursery medication policy. The most important points of the policy states that:
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, the nursery staff 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. The nursery staff will not give a different dose unless a new form is completed
3.
Parents must notify the nursery staff 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.
If the child refuses to take the appropriate medication then a note will be made on the form.