Medication Management – A dose of reality

One of the most important aspects of children’s health care is the administration of medications in school. About 13 million children in kindergarten through 12th grade take medication in any two-week time period, according to a Univ. of Iowa study. They take a variety of medicines, from antibiotics and asthma drugs to behavioral and mood-regulating medications. Many have serious side effects and must be taken at precise times in exact doses.

In the meantime, the number of school nurses is falling, meaning many children are getting their medications from people without a medical background, such as secretaries, teachers or counselors.

The risk of administering the wrong medicine to children is severe, because medical errors are a leading cause of death and injury and medication errors contribute to the toll.

The Center for Health and Healthcare in School says school districts should take these steps to reduce the risks:* Establish a medication policy that lists the employees who will administer medicines and make it available to staff, students and parents.

* Make sure non medical staff are trained on dispensing medication.
* Develop a systematic way of recording each time a child takes a dose of medication.
* Make sure employees who dispense medications compare student names with the names on the medication labels before administering each dose.
* Lock drugs away to prevent theft.

Playground equipment safety

One of the keys to playground safety is the safety of playground equipment. The equipment should be installed and regularly inspected with the following safety tips in mind:

* Equipment should have no sharp points or edges that can cut children
* It shouldn’t contain spaces that can trap children
* It should be free of tripping hazards
* Check for dangerous hardware, like open “S” hooks or protruding bolt ends
* Make sure elevated surfaces, like platforms and ramps, have guard rails to prevent falls
* Swing seats should be made of something soft, not wood or metal
* Cap all screws and bolts
* Check for hot metal surfaces on slides, which could cause burns
* All equipment should sit on a level surface and be anchored firmly to the ground
* Install all equipment at least six feet from fences or walls
* Check playground regularly to make sure equipment and surfacing are in good condition