The Independence Community School District seeks to provide a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors who are at risk of potentially life-threatening incidents including severe allergic reactions, respiratory distress and opioid overdose. Therefore, it is the policy of the district to annually obtain a prescription for epinephrine auto-injectors, bronchodilator canisters and spacers and/or opioid antagonists from a licensed health care professional, in the name of the school district, for administration by a school nurse or personnel trained and authorized to administer to a student or individual who may be experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, respiratory distress or acute opioid overdose.
Procurement and maintenance of supply: The district shall stock a minimum of the following for each attendance center:
- One pediatric dose and one adult dose epinephrine auto-injector,
- One pediatric and one adult dose bronchodilator canister and spacer;
- One dose of naloxone or other opioid antagonist.
The supply of such medication shall be maintained in a secure easily accessible area for an emergency within the school building, or in addition to other locations as determined by the school district.
The school nurse shall routinely check stock of medication and document in a log monthly:
- The expiration date;
- Any visualized particles; or color change for epinephrine auto-injectors; or
- Bronchodilator canister damage.
The employee shall be responsible for ensuring the district replaces, as soon as reasonably possible, any logged epinephrine auto-injector, bronchodilator canister or spacer, or opioid antagonist that is empty after use, damaged, or close to expiration. The district shall dispose of stock medications and delivery devices in accordance with state laws and regulations.
Training: A school nurse or personnel trained and authorized may provide or administer any of the medications listed in the policy from a school supply to a student or individual if the authorized personnel or school nurse reasonably and in good faith believes the student or individual is having an anaphylactic reaction, respiratory distress, asthma or other airway-constricting disease, or opioid overdose. Training to obtain a signed certificate to become personnel authorized to administer an epinephrine auto-injectors, bronchodilator canisters or spacers or opioid antagonists shall consist of the requirements of medication administration established by law and an annual anaphylaxis, asthma, other airway-constricting disease, opioid overdose training program approved by the Department of Education.
Authorized personnel will be required to retake the medication administration course, training program and provide a procedural skills demonstration to the school nurse demonstrating competency in the administration of stock epinephrine auto-injectors, bronchodilator canisters or spacers and opioid antagonists to retain authorization to administer these medications if the following occur:
- Failure to administer an epinephrine auto-injector, bronchodilator canisters or spacers or opioid antagonists according to generally accepted standards of practice (“medication error”); or
- Accidental injury to school personnel related to improperly administering the medication (“medication incident”).
Reporting: Authorized personnel will contact the school nurse or emergency medical services (911) immediately after a stock bronchodilator canister is administered to a student or individual. The school nurse retains accountability for professional nursing judgment with the administration of stock bronchodilator and whether to contact emergency medical services in accordance with Iowa laws.
The district will contact emergency medical services (911) immediately after any stock epinephrine auto-injector, or stock opioid antagonists is administered to a student or individual. The school nurse or authorized personnel will remain with the student or individual until emergency medical services arrive.
Within 48 hours, the district will report to the Iowa Department of Education:
- Each medication incident with the administration of stock epinephrine; bronchodilator canisters or spacers or opioid antagonists;
- Each medication error with the administration of stock epinephrine; bronchodilator canisters or spacers or opioid antagonists or
- The administration of a stock epinephrine auto-injector, bronchodilator canisters or spacers or opioid antagonists.
As provided by law, the district, board, authorized personnel or school nurse, and the prescriber shall not be liable for any injury arising from the provision, administration, failure to administer, or assistance in the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector, bronchodilator canisters or spacers or opioid antagonists provided they acted reasonably and in good faith.
The superintendent may develop an administrative process to implement this policy.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 135.185; .190; 279.8.
281 I.A.C. 14.3.
655 IAC 6.2(2).
Cross Reference: 507.02 Administration of Medication
Approved: 05/16/2016
Reviewed: 11/16/2020
Revised: 08/15/2022, 10/16/2023
