Parents and carers may wish for their child to have medication administered at school on a 'routine', 'as-needed' or 'emergency first aid' basis.
If administration of medication to students is to occur during school hours then parents/carers will need to draw their attention to the following Departmental Guidelines around this administration.
- The Department recognises that all medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) medications, e.g. paracetamol or alternative medicines, may be drugs or poisons and may cause side effects. As such, schools are required to receive medical authorisation from a prescribing health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist, optometrist, but not a pharmacist) to administer any medication to students, including those bought over-the-counter.
- Medication will need to be provided to the school in the original container with a pharmacy label detailing instructions about dosage requirements at the medical practitioner's direction.
- The pharmacy label needs to include the prescribing health practitioner's name. If the label does not have the prescribing health practitioners name on it, then an accompanying letter from the prescribing health practitioner will be required. N.b. A letter from the parent to administer medication will not suffice if medical authorisation cannot be confirmed.
- If medical authorisation is not confirmed, the parent/carer will be advised that until medical authorisation can be confirmed, and they wish their child to receive medication during school hours, they will have to attend the school to take the responsibility for its administration.
- Before any medication can be administered to a child at school, parents/carers will need to complete the appropriate forms provided by the school:
Documents that the school requires to administer medication:![]()
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After the appropriate administration of medication forms have been completed and signed, it is then the responsibility of parents/carers to notify the school in writing:
- when medication is no longer required to be administered at school
- if changes occur in the dosage requirements for students' routine medication (where an adjustment to the authorization form would be required, along with an accompanying letter from the medical practitioner)
- when emergency medication changes occur (and provide an accompanying letter/action plan from the prescribing health practitioner)
- in advance if medication is being transported with the student for purposes other than administration at school (respite, shared parental arrangements, before and after school care).
At the end of the school year, (or if medication requirements cease, at the notification of parent) parents/carers are required to come to the school to collect all unused medication. The unused medication will be returned to the parent/legal guardian of the student in its original container.
At the beginning of each school year, parents/carers are required to complete new Consent to administer medication forms. At this time, parents are also requested to provide current/new Action plans, where applicable.