Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to require local school districts to include over-the-counter medications in their school medication policies.
House Bill (HB) 70, sponsored by State Representatives Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), looks to patch an oversight in existing policies by requiring every school to request parental permission before administering over-the-counter medications to children.
Currently, Ohio law requires every school to have a policy regarding prescription medication administration to children. In some states, over-the-counter and homeopathic/herbal medications within schools require a medication order signed by an approved healthcare provider. However, Ohio law is silent regarding over-the-counter medication administration within a school.
According to the lawmakers, this bill stems from them becoming aware of an unfortunate situation of a child becoming ill from administering an over-the-counter medicine that interacted with her prescription medication. The parent was unaware that the school might provide an over-the-counter medication to the child, and the nurse was unaware of the child’s medical contradiction to the medication she administered.
Fowler Arthur (pictured above, left) told The Ohio Star that requiring a school policy is important to ensure parents and schools are communicating clearly.
“It is important for parents and schools to communicate clearly about the medications children are taking at school. Over the counter medications can interact with other prescriptions and a policy helps ensure everyone is on the same page,” Fowler Arthur told The Star.
Symptoms, including pain, allergies, constipation, nausea, and other conditions, can all be treated in schools in Ohio with over-the-counter medicines. Adverse reactions are unfavorable side effects that can occur from taking these drugs. Adverse reactions include side effects, drug interactions, food-to-drug interactions, and allergic reactions.
The National Institutes of Health details that children with certain medical conditions are at higher risk for adverse reactions, such as asthma, bleeding disorders, blood clotting disorders, breathing problems, diabetes, epilepsy, immune system problems, kidney problems, liver problems, and psychiatric problems.
Fowler Arthur said that this bill aims to create more uniform and consistent protection of student health.
“Many drugs, whether prescription or not, can have negative effects when taken together. By requiring school boards to create a policy that includes over-the-counter medications, we accomplish three goals. We better protect children’s health from unexpected reactions to medications, we assist school nurses and parents in better communicating about the child’s health history and needs, and we decrease potential liability in schools,” Fowler Arthur said.
According to Gross (pictured above, right), the schools request medical history; however, not all schools request permission to give over-the-counter medications.
“School districts should have parent-approved, well-written policies and procedures that focus on safe administration of over-the-counter medications at school and school-sponsored activities. Permission to give a child over-the-counter medication needs to be assessed by that child’s personal medical provider and the parents. Without a complete medical history and information, the school may not understand the risk to a particular child,” Gross said.
The lawmakers said that this bill intends to ensure parents approve of over-the-counter medication administration for their children so that all of Ohio’s children are as safe as possible.
“Any medication given to a child at school should have parental consent. The bill does not ‘prescribe’ exact language, however it does require the schools to develop an over-the-counter policy. Even if the permission is a broad signed statement listing any medication that a school nurse might dispense at that school. If that permission isn’t given, a nurse is essentially prescribing and dispensing medication without parental consent. This consent is required in schools when parents request prescription medications be given to their child. Motrin was once prescription only as well as proton pump inhibitors so a general policy in schools is prudent for over-the-counter medication as well,” Gross told The Star.
The legislation is currently in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee for review.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Jennifer Gross” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 3.0.Â
