How to handle the issue of medications on outings?

[ScoutNut]

Welcome jcb7265.

 

As others have stated, BSA does NOT require that a SM handle all medications.

 

If you are unclear of MO rules on this, I suggest you contact your Council Service Center. I am sure they have been asked this question a time or two!

 

Hopefully this dispute was not brought about because a Scout was injured/sick from a medication problem.

[dScouter15]

Beav - Clearly there is a risk for an individual Scout should he forget to take certain medication, deliberately choose not to take certain medication, lose his medication, or accidentally or intentionally take too much. This risk can easily be extended to other Scouts in the troop. For a few examples, what about a Scout who develops a medical or psychological problem in the backcountry, or on a high adventure activity? What about a Scout who steals another Scout's medication?

 

Also, I'm not saying that the adult leadership should be required to control all medications for all Scouts. The needed level of oversight by an adult will vary depending on the Scout's needs and maturity, and the type of medication he is taking.

 

Some Scouts (hopefully most Scouts) should be able to be trusted to manage their own medical needs on an outing.

 

Some Scouts may need a casual reminder to take their meds from an adult leader.

 

Some Scouts may need to have their medication stored in a secure area by an adult leader.

 

Some Scouts may need to have their parent camp along with them until they develop the maturity to not need their parent.

 

And, unfortunately, some Scouts may not be able to participate in certain activities based on their medication needs.

 

Personally, I make every effort to eliminate those last two categories, though I admit that its sometimes not possible. I strongly believe that with responsible adult leadership and honest communication between a Scout, his parents, and adult leadership, that the majority of medication concerns can easily be overcome, without needing the parents to attend an event, or excluding the Scout from an event. It bothers me that the BSA seems to recommend a hands-off approach, rather than encouraging increased communication, education and planning to simply and easily accomodate more Scouts, and improve overall safety.

[Beavah]

Ah, silly me. You were talkin' about real risk, not legal risk.

 

Da problem, of course, is that BSA guidance is increasingly written by lawyers who don't go campin' with kids, eh? It's designed for legal risk management.

 

I agree with your last paragraph, but then we're two fellows with some training and experience, and I expect we're also in states with more rational approaches to controlled substance possession. Others may not be as comfortable navigating those areas, and of course lots of parents are reticent about sharing detailed medical information. It takes an adult leader with some knowledge and experience to navigate that sort of conversation sometimes.

 

I still am uncomfortable with your #3 - taking the medication away from the boy and assuming possession of it as an untrained, medically unlicensed adult, in a "secure location." I just wouldn't ever advise someone to do that. There's little upside and a lot of potential problems.

 

Beavah

 

[bemiller328]

Had a weird situation at summer camp last year. Leaders guide said to have boys give the medications to the SM and that they would be brought to the medical lodge for distribution each day. When we brought them to the medical officer, he told us that they needed to be distributed by the adult leadership (only exception he made was a medication that needed temperature control). I discussed with camp director who said that it was the adult leadership's responsibility to make sure the kids took their medication. This didn't feel right to me, as parents had been told that this would be handled by the medical officer, and that this was no longer in place. I emailed parents and told them of the change, and got a response from them.

[Oak Tree]

In some states its a crime to simply have someone elses medication in your posession unless you are the parent.

 

Really? Can you point me to an actual reference on this? I don't know it to be wrong, but there just seem to be so many situations where you might want someone other than a parent to hold on to someone's medication, that I find it hard to believe.

 

 

[dScouter15]

Oak Tree - Some food for thought might be a Federal law governing only controlled substances (ie, only those in Schedule II - Schedule V) - see CFR Title 21 Part 290, which governs the dispensing of controlled substances.