Guest Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Hi I'd like to ask what your policies are for the giving of medicines to children. We stipulate that we only give prescribed medicine to any child once a medication form is filled in by the parent. However today I was asked to give Calpol to a child at lunchtime as he was staying all day and had needed some before arriving for a headache. So I quoted our policy and the disgruntled parent then asked another parent who collects after lunch to give the medicine to her child and she agreed and they went in to the main room together. Turns out that the parent had given one of my staff the Calpol to keep in the office and to pass to the other parent after lunch for her to give to the child. This does not sit well with me at all. Anyone had something similar or do you not stipulate that the medicine has to be prescribed from a doctor?
louby loo Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 There are some useful documents by oftsed about this subject - a quick google should find them. At our setting -sessions max of 6.25 hours each day. If a child needs calpol then they are not well enough to attend. Exceptions to this are - if they have had recent [day before] vaccinations If it has been prescribed by health practitioner, in which case it would be 'labelled' Obviously some [shock horror] parents sometimes give it before the child arrives :angry: .........they seem to forget their children can- and do talk to us!! If we know to have happened we keep and eye on child and are not slow to call parents for them to be collected. 1
Joanne123 Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 We say If a child needs Calpol, they aren't well enough to be at nursery. 1
Rea Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 I'd be a bit worried about a parent giving it to another child while on my premises too. Who would check the dosage and the time it was given and write it up? If your policy states you wont give it, I'd take a look at including nobody else will either.
sunnyday Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Giving medication to children in registered childcare.doc Does this help? 2
Guest Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Thank you for your comments so far and looks like we all agree on this. Rea - I know! It certainly won't happen again! Sunnyday - Thank you for posting this - very interesting and will be printing it off ready for our staff meeting on Wednesday where this issue will be discussed. Interesting in that we can give non-prescription as long as it doesn't contain aspirin but like everyone has said - if a child needs Calpol to get through the day then they are not well enough to attend. I'm still in two minds whether to change our policy or not!
Rea Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 I think allowing calpol or similar to be given is ok for a day. Everyone can feel a bit off colour for a day or two without it being something we need time off work for and i think children are sometimes the same. I'd be looking at making the policy parent friendly, they dont all have employers who look sympathetically at absences for sick children and not everyone has a family or friend network to support them. I would though stop anyone other than a member of staff giving it, thats totally wrong in so many ways, I'd feel very uncomfortable with that going on. Treat every case individually, you'll know the children and parents well enough to know if its required or if someone is trying it on :1b
woodlands1997 Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 We will only give prescribed medicine too, it has to be with the label on with name etc. If they give it before that's fine, but we won't give calpol or similar x
klc106 Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 We have recently agreed to administering medicine such as calpol with written permission. A major reason being we have a child with kidney problems who often needs calpol alongside his regular antibiotics due to pain when weeing. If we didnt give him calpol, he would hardly be at preschool! We have also given it on the odd day (with writren permission) when children are clearly well but have a but of a temperature.
woodlands1997 Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Surely the child with kidney problems would get it on prescription? We have had a similar situation but the paracetamol is prescribed with a sticker so we will administer. We found it was easier just to say no to non prescription as was very hard to say who was well enough to be here and have medicine and who wasn't with parents sending very poorly children or wanting us to give medicine when there appeared to be nothing wrong with them!! You just have to go with gut feeling and what works for your setting I think! 2
MegaMum Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Sorry klc106 but I don't agree. A child that is clearly well, does not have a temperature. Have a look at the NHS guidelines. A temperature indicates infection or other illness. As you know a child/ren coming to your setting with a temperature spread infection and puts the other children at risk of illness. NHS states, " you can usually treat fever in young children at home using infant paracetamol. Arguably, there are cases where temperatures arise in children such as those who have just had their immunisations for example, and naturally some children won't feel well. If YOU don't feel well, don't you just want to be at home? 2
finleysmaid Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 i think we get a bit lackadaisical about giving calpol....it is paracetamol suspension....one of the most dangerous medicines if mistreated...it can slowly kill you if you overdose!
woodlands1997 Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 I find it worrying how many parents alternate calpol and nurofen 2 hourly for minor teething etc without giving it a second thought, we've had children ask for it in the past when they appear to be absolutely fine because they know parents have brought it in. Hence why we just say no now.
Upsy Daisy Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 What about a child with a broken arm? There are occasions when pain relief is required in a child who isn't ill or infectious. If a parent asks another parent to administer medication because the setting won't do it, is that setting acting in the best interests of the child? Would it be better to agree to administer it knowing that the dosage will be checked by two people, written consent has been obtained from the parents and they will be formally made aware of dosage and times on collection, thereby protecting the child from accidental overdose?If you decide to allow other parents to administer medication on the premises would you record it in your incident book and ask the parents to sign it on collection? If you require the medication to be prescribed by the GP, does that have to be for this specific purpose or does it just have to be in a bottle with a label on so you know it was prescribed for the child at some point?If you agree to administer medications, prescribed or otherwise, is there a facility for them to be stored safely?
woodlands1997 Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 We don't require it to be prescribed for a certain things as such but if a child has a broken arm we would check that it has been prescribed around the time it happens not months before. Similarly we have children who are prone to febrile convulsions, we have medicine here prescribed by the doctor with the dosage on incase their temp spikes and parents can't get here quickly x
klc106 Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 Doctors around here will not prescribe Calpol for children, they say to buy it over the counter. Soo that's why we administer it in certain situations. We have only given it about 4 times in the 3yrs we've been open, so not often and like i said we have a little boy with kidneys problem and the doctor will not prescribe Calpol just says to use it when he needs it.
Guest Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 There are instances where calpol is needed that doesn't involve illness and that's why we agree to give it.
louby loo Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 Harmony and klc Surely in these cases - including broken bones ect, it would be written up in a care-plan already?
woodlands1997 Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 Parents have said before that doctors won't prescribe and we checked with the medical practice and they said they will prescribe if they explain to the doctor that the nursery will not administer it if it isn't! They also said if they don't prescribe then it'll be because they feel they don't need it or they shouldn't be at nursery! Now we just say to parents they need to explain and haven't had a problem since! I think you just have to do what suits you so if the way you do it now works then stick with it :-)
klc106 Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 I'm sorry but I know our doctors will NOT prescribe calpol. The little boy with kidney problems is in fact my nephew and I have been to the doctor with him, so I know this is true!
woodlands1997 Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 It's wrong that it should be different in different areas, ours don't get actual calpol just the generic paracetamol suspension. Unfair that whoever has to pay for it for your nephew x 1
Guest Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 Harmony and klc Surely in these cases - including broken bones ect, it would be written up in a care-plan already? I think a health care plan is a little extreme for teething discomfort lol.
wendums Posted May 19, 2014 Posted May 19, 2014 Just to add to this debate how do you all deal with parents who arrive in setting and say "Ive given them calpol ,just in case but they are fine" do you turn them away ? and conjuctivitus in under 3s ?? thats a minefield all on its own would appreciate your thoughts ,do you exclude ? Thanks x
mrsbat Posted May 19, 2014 Posted May 19, 2014 Re the calpol we get them to complete a prior medication form under the proviso that they are aware that if the child goes down hill during the session we will call them and expect them to come and collect them. Conjunctivitis is an awkward one because the guidance says they don't need to be excluded so we allow them to come in once they have started treatment - however we did have a spurt of it last year when children were just coming down with it one after the other and in this case we did ask parents to keep children at home until the discharge had gone - we had no complaints luckily 1
woodlands1997 Posted May 19, 2014 Posted May 19, 2014 If they come in saying they've had calpol then we just phone parents if they become ill in the day, often we find it's the child telling us they've had medicine and not the parents though!! With conjunctivitis we just ask them to get it checked and have at least one treatment before they come back or if the doctors say they're fine then that's ok! Annoying though as particularly with babies and young ones it spreads so quickly! 1
Guest Posted May 19, 2014 Posted May 19, 2014 We have the policy that no child is allowed back to nursery for the first 48 hours after being given antibiotics, so that helps on the conjunctivitis thing because of the dr gives them meds for it, they've got to stay away for 48 hours haha. We don't exclude them, but the fact they have medication means they can't come in.
DebbieW Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) This is the note we have on our website and on our notice board to support our policy. I constantly have to remind parents they have they have read and signed to say they have agreed with our policies. We only give medicines that have been prescribed. Children are not allowed in for 48 hours from the start of their treatment. We provide care for healthy children and do our utmost to prevent the cross infection of viruses for all children and staff in the setting, especially vulnerable children. Therefore, if your child is ill, please do not bring them into Nursery. We will refuse admittance to children who have a temperature, sickness and diarrhoea or a contagious infection or disease. Refusing a child is awkward for us and for you but particularly your child as they can become upset. Do please phone for advice before coming in and let us know if they are not able to attend from 8.00 am or you can phone and leave a message or text us. If a child has to be given Calpol to get them through the morning then they should not be at nursery but tucked up at home to recover. Calpol is used to relieve symptoms such as a temperature or pain. Your child may rally for a few hours but when it wears off they become distressed. If your child has had sickness or diarrhoea, you must wait 48 hours clear from symptoms (from either end) before returning them to our care to prevent infections spreading. While it is not our policy to care for sick children, who should be at home until they are well enough to return to the setting, we will agree to administer medication as part of maintaining their health and well-being or when they are recovering from an illness. Thank you for your consideration............The Nursery Team Edited May 20, 2014 by DebbieW
Upsy Daisy Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 We have the policy that no child is allowed back to nursery for the first 48 hours after being given antibiotics, so that helps on the conjunctivitis thing because of the dr gives them meds for it, they've got to stay away for 48 hours haha. We don't exclude them, but the fact they have medication means they can't come in. Does this apply whatever the antibiotics are for? If so, how do you justify it?
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