How does your troop handle medication(s)?

[Beavah]

Yah, this seemed like a good topic to spin off, eh? I expect lots of folks would benefit from da insights of our esteemed community!

 

Beavah

 

[Scoutfish]

We tell them NO MEDICATIONS so just suck it up!

 

 

I'm only kidding!

 

I too would like to see how this turns out.

 

As far as I know, we do not have any special permission forms or what not. But then again,we are a pack, not a troop, so at least mom or dad is usually there except in special circumstances.

 

Anyways, I'd like to know just for future reference!(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[EagleBeaver]

Parents give permission to the adult volunteers at a scout event to administer over-the-counter medication.

 

Each scout is responsible for self-administering prescription medication.

As scoutmaster, I will hold the medications for safe-keeping if the parents ask me to and I will remind him that it's time for his medications.

Pretty much like it's written in the G2SS.

[kbandit]

Here is what works for our troop: We have a medicine permission slip for prescription/non prescription meds that they must list what med., amount, time and date to be given. All meds must be in original container with current dosage and only send amount that will be needed for the weekend in a ziplock. I am the one who safe keeps the meds on the trips (always there hubby SM). The scouts get their ziplock and open the bottles and take the meds. If there is a medical emergency I think it is important to know when that scout had whatever med.

 

If a youth needs an over the counter (tylenol, advil, aleve etc) and does not bring it I will contact the parent on the phone and get verbal permission on what and how much. I will never give a med. without talking to a parent.

 

If anyone disagrees with what we do that is fine but this works for us, so please don't tell me what you think is wrong about it as you do not know what meds my scouts take.

[NE-IV-88-Beaver]

We have encouraged our parents to work with their sons to teach self-medication. They are asked to let us know what meds their sons have with them and what schedule they are on, in case reminders are needed. If the boy has specific needs, such as a nebulizer for asthma, that it be placed in a particular pocket of his pack and that he should inform other members of his patrol, in advance, where to find it, should the need arise.

 

If a parent is not comfortable with this procedure, special arrangements will be made to have one leader responsible for the medication but this has become a rarity.

 

We adopted this practice several years ago when we noticed that the Scoutmaster needed to carry an extra pack just to handle all the meds and carry a clipboard just to try to keep the med schedule on track. It also started to resemble a military sick-call to distribute the meds. That didn't seem to be the best way to use someone's talents.

 

We have found that this method teaches the Scout to be self-reliant and affords him a certain amount of privacy. It also feeds into that philosophy of separating the boys and adults, making the boys responsible and letting them do their own thing.

 

[vol_scouter]

We follow the same kind of procedure as NE-IV-88-Beaver. It is important to trust our youth and to make them responsible.

[artjrk]

We follow the same philosophy as the two previous posters. Our permission slip includes a place medication so that the leaders are informed. I will try and put out a general reminder to all in the morning and evening that those who need to take their meds should. But in the end it is the scout's responsibility. We do suggest that parents only send enough medication to cover the time we are out and not extra. This can help prevent the chances for abuse.

 

This has irked some parents that want us to administer their kids medication. But I don't need that extra burden. Odds are I will forget with all the other things going on.

 

As the G2SS states:

 

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 does not mandate nor necessarily encourage the Scout leader to do so. Also, if your state laws are more limiting, they must be followed.

[evmori]

At the end of a week at summer camp we toss all the meds in a big bowl & pass it around! Sure makes for an interesting closing campfire

[SMT224]

We usually have one ASM hold and help administer the meds of 2-3 Scouts both at summer camp and on weekend camping trips.

 

This works ok, but I like the idea of a standard Troop form for the parent to fill out with med & dose info.

 

kbandit and artjrk, could you post the language from your med permission slips here? I'd like to develop something similar.

 

Thanks!!!

[artjrk]

BSA Troop 1570 Activity Permission Slip

 

Scout _________________________________ has my permission to participate as a member of Troop 1570 in the activity covering the dates identified below. In the event of illness or accidental injury to my son/ward during his participation in these activities, I request that measures be instituted without delay as judgment of medical personnel dictates. In case of emergency, I understand every effort will be made to contact me. In the event I cannot be reached, I hereby, give my permission to the physician selected by the adult leader in charge to secure proper treatment, including hospitalization, anesthesia, surgery, or injections of medication for my child.

 

The NCAC Guide to Safe Scouting states the following on prescription medications:

 

The taking of prescription medications is the responsibility of the individual taking the medication and/or that individual's parent or guardian.

I give permission for my son to administer his own medications, including over the counter medication(s) as specified here:

 

 

My son has the following allergies:

 

 

My son is taking the following medication(s):

 

[Parent consent signature and emergency contact info]

 

[the following is on the back of the permission slip]

 

Troop 1570 Medication Policy

 

It is the policy of Troop 1570 of the Boy Scouts of America in the Powhatan District of the National Capital Area Council to have Scouts and their families be responsible for medication administration on outings, events and campouts.

 

The permission form signed for each boy who is attending an outing, event or campout asks for medication information to be used in the event of an emergency and is not a medication administration instruction form.

 

Parents and guardians of Scouts in the Troop may choose to have the Scout administer their own medication while away from home. They may choose to accompany the Scout and be responsible for the medication administration. They may also pre-arrange with another adult to assume the responsibility for medication administration.

 

Troop leadership recommends that Scouts bring with them only enough medication to supply them for the time they are away rather than the entire amount of their current prescription. This would include over the counter medication, which will not be supplied by the Troop to any Scout.

 

In the event of injuries or acute illness, first aid will be provided by Troop leadership to the best of their abilities.

 

 

[Eagle92]

thatw as one nice thing about having a cardiologist as a leader, HE dealt with all the medical problems;)

[Twocubdad]

Like NE-IV-88. We try to make it all the boy's responsibility. We do, however, have a master list we keep and try to ask the boys from time to time if they have taken their meds. We have a couple boys with some serious health issues so we try to create that much of a safety net. Interesting, the guys taking the hard-core stuff are much more responsible than the guys taking Zyrtec.

 

Our council camp screws this up, requiring all meds to be kept locked in a tool box screwed to the floor of the SM's tent. Because the boys have to take the extra step of coming to the SM's tent and asking for his meds, we have more compliance issues at summer camp than we do when the boys keep up with their own stuff and take it as a part of their usual routine.

[T2Eagle]

I had asked this question originally and thought I should provide where our troop is currently. We sort of have a policy that all medications are held and then distributed by the SM or another adult leader. We also have an old troop form that asks parent to tell us what OTC medications we can administer and at what doses.

 

I am in favor of moving to what NE-IV-88-Beaver and vol_scouter do. My argument is that it's seems simpler, is in keeping with BSA guidelines, and once you accept the responsibility you have to get it exactly right. I'm not perfectly compliant on taking my own medications, so I'd rather not be responsible for someone else's.

 

Someone told me "oh you're not allowe to give a kid any medication without a parent's permission." I pointed out the scout can buy Tylenol, Advil, and Zyrtec at the local convenience store along with his slushy; would it be OK if I charged them a nickel a pill first?

[Engineer61]

Ok....I agree with the whole responsibility thing...that works well with Tylenol/Advil/Zyrtec and other OTC medications.

 

I have a significant problem with carrying that through in the camp environment with the ADD/ADHD medications (Methamphetamine and Dexedrine derivatives).

 

First, the kids taking these as a treatment for ADD/ADHD can inadvertently take multiple doses in a short time frame. "Did I take my medication....I don't remember...." so a second dose goes on board.

 

Second, these medications have powerful impacts on those that do not take them regularly...and regardless of what we may WANT our Scouts to achieve, there are those that do dabble in the drug environment, from RX drugs to OTC cough suppressants, there are possible abusive behaviors with nearly every medication.

 

So, IMO, all medications should be monitored and administered by an adult.

 

It's the safe thing to do.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

the COmmittee Chair of the troop is a Pediatrician who thinks that scouting is a fine outlet for the excess energy expened by ADD/ADHD youth. She frequently "writes" a prescription that the males join the troop to burn off excess energy and learn responsibility. When we go to Summer Camp she takes two foot-lockers, one for her stuff and another for the Troops Medicine. Frequently she comes on outings, its good to have a physician around

 

At any one time about 50% of the troop is on Ritalin or Adderal and we figure the other 50% should be as well. We had thought about adding Ritalin to the Bug Juice and Valium to the coffee for adults.

 

We usually have 2-5 Aspergers scouts as well as ADD so most of the adults know how to handle MOST cases. The extreme is easy, the parents have to attend and we are fine.