To what extent do we get involved?

[Lynda J]

The guy that works for me had the school call him about 6 years ago and tell him that he was to take his son to this certain Dr. and have him put on retalin(sp) or he could not come back to school the next day. I really questioned this and went with them to this Dr. This guy looked in the boys ears, listened to his heart and looked down his throat. Charged them $50.00 and wrote the prescription. 0 testing,not even any blood work or check his weight. THe kid was a basket case within a week. He couldn't study, couldn't sleep, and couldn't hardly eat. I talked them into taking him to another Dr. and having his checked out. They finally did and the other Dr. had a screaming fit.

Seems the other Dr. is refered to as the ADHD drive through clinic. The new Dr. took this kid off the medication, did over a month of testing and finally gave him something else. The teacher had a fit and threateded to suspend him from her classes. Since Kevin is in the same school system I sent to the Superintedent with my concerns. He was non to happy about it. Informed the teacher that she was to never refer a student to a doctor or she would not be teaching in the system again. Seems 60% of her class had been sent to this same "quack" and had been put on medication. It also make me wonder about parents who would so blindly medicate their kids.

I have ADD and ADHD kids in my troop. They can be hands full. And I don't have a problem with kids that truly need this medication being on it. But IMHO I think we are to quick to put kids on medicine. I have seen kids as young as 3 on ADHD medications. The comment was "he is just so overactive that I couldn't handle him"

It can be an easy way out. But we program our kids to "pop a magic pill" to control their behavior, then take a pill so they can go to sleep, at such early ages, then we wonder why when they get older they are so easily attracted to drugs.

[johndaigler]

LyndaJ,

 

That is a frightening story. I hope those parents know decent lawyers - here's one instance where I'd approve of a lawsuit (or two)!!

 

It's sad and surprising that many parents would fall into that type of trap. I think today it would be much different than 6 years ago, but still the problem exists -- Too many kids on too much medication.

 

Teachers should be the last ones to suggest meds. There are many, many steps that public schools should be efforting before anyone brings up the possibility of medicating students. Private schools work with different rules, but still, behvior mod meds are the absolute last choice in helping kids succeed in school, or anywhere else.

 

very scary.

 

jd

[NeilLup]

Hello PNW,

 

You are in a very uncomfortable position. I am not a lawyer, but I suspect that when you ask how your liability is removed, it can only be by declining to administer the meds.

 

I would think that you can ask to have the original prescription bottle provided by pharmacy together with a written note signed by both parents directing that the Scout receive the prescription outlined on the original bottle and then your situation would be better. But if one or both parents decline to do this, you are in the same situation as you are if you insist that a parent go on the campout and they refuse. Either you take on the liability or your lose a Scout.

 

You asked who you can talk with. There may be an answer, but I suspect you won't like it. Every Boy Scout council has a legal counsel. You can ask to speak to that person, outline the situation and get the lawyer's advice. But I suspect that the lawyer will only repeat what the Guide to Safe Scouting says.

 

You may have a painfully tough decision to make.(This message has been edited by NeilLup)