Storing Medications

[AvidSM]

I would not want to be put into the position that MarkS's troop is in - all the meds in a tackle box because the camp staff won't store it.

 

First of all, the tackle box full of meds becomes a goodie locker for anyone wishing to abuse some of these meds or steal them for profit.

 

Secondly, I do not have a medical background or license, am I legally qualified to give out these dosages? What if I, as the leader, misread the label and give out the wrong med to the wrong scout? Or, if the parents gave me the wrong meds by mistake? Am I now legally responsible if this boy comes to some harm due to my own or his parents' mistake?

 

When I read the part of the G2SS which says, "...can agree to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time...", I read it as, I know what meds the boy is on and I make sure that he is taking them. And, If I find out he is not taking them for whatever reason, I call his parents. I don't read it as, I hold onto his meds and give out the dosages.

 

I think the only people who should be touching these meds are the boy, his parents, or some legally qualified medical person at camp.

 

 

[MarkS]

With all due respect to AvidSM, I don't see how he can assure the safety of the boys in his troop if he's letting the Johnny's and Billy's carry their meds around in a Ziploc bags labeled by their parents. What if Billy gets his hands on Johnny's meds either by intent or mistake and ends up comatose under the troop fly? How do you know what's wrong with him? Better hope Johnny's mom and dad labeled that bag correctly. Otherwise, he could end up with the wrong treatment for Billy.

 

That's why we insist all medications be stored in their original containers with the dosage instructions. We make the parents provide just enough for the outting. They keep the extras in the Ziploc bags at home.

 

Yes we want to teach the boys responsibility, but safety comes first. Medications should be kept in a secure container until needed, not in every boys' unlocked duffle or backpack. How is that safer? An OD is a hard lesson to learn.

 

The GSS has this to say about prescriptions... "The taking of prescription medication is the responsibility of the individual taking the medication and/or that individual's parent or guardian. A Scout leader, after obtaining all the necessary information, can agree to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time, but BSA policy does not mandate nor necessarily encourage the Scout leader to do so. Also, if your state laws are more limiting, they must be followed."

 

We have to decide what is safest for our units. The age, maturity, and reliability of the boys in the unit affect what is best for the unit. What's right for one unit may not be right for another.(This message has been edited by MarkS)

[stlscouter]

In addititon to the meds coming in the original containers and permission slips from the parents, we use a first aid log with non removable numbered pages and when a med is(or any first aid , including a bandaid)dispensed, it is recorded and signed by the scout and the adult in charge of the med box (large orange tackle box that is locked and carried everywhere).

[MarkS]

stlscouter,

 

That's similar to what we do. Personally, like AvidSM, I would prefer that councils provide the necessary storage and staff to administer medications at long-term camps on their properties, but in lieu of that, I think its best for units to establish safeguards and procedures for ensuring medications are properly administered under adult supervision rather than leaving that responsibility to each individual boy.

 

Safety dictates that access to such medications be restricted until they are needed.

 

Mark

[AwHeck]

We actually have almost the reverse problem with long term camps. We have an RN who normally comes to summer camp with us. With a large number of scouts, many of whom take a variety of medications, we prefer that she be able to store and dispense the medications. She is fully aware of all legal guidelines, stores them in a "2 lock" system (inside a locked box, inside a locked trailer or vehicle), maintaines a log of whne she dispenses what meds (and when they are due) etc. Some camps allow this, others insist that all meds be turned in to their "medical staff". We're lucky if such camp "medical staff" is even an EMT and from my understaning, at least in Colorado, an EMT is not licensed to "dispense" medications - he/she should at most hadn the bottle to the scout and watch him take the meds. We have had times when our nurse has observed the "medical staff" shake out the appropriate dosage into his/her hand (which may or may not be clean) and offer it to the scout. She even caught one attempting to give a medication that should only be given in the morning to a scout at bedtime. You can bet that camp management heard about that incident!