Prescribing - Nurseries, schools and OTC Medications
Nurseries and schools should not be asking parents/carers to obtain prescriptions for OTC/P medicines they can purchase for administration to children in nursery/school time.
This has been clarified again by BMA and The Department of Education as below.
Prescribing over-the-counter medicines in nurseries and schools (bma.org.uk)
Prescribing over-the-counter medicines in nurseries and schools
GPs are often asked to prescribe over-the-counter medication to satisfy nurseries and schools. This is a misuse of GP time, and is not necessary.
Audience: Practice managers GPs Patients and public
Updated: Monday 16 October 2023
Non-prescription or over-the-counter medication does not need a GP signature or authorisation in order for a school, nursery or childminder to give it.
Clarification on prescription medicines
The Government’s early years foundation stage statutory framework, which governs the standards of institutions looking after children, used to include the paragraph: ‘Medicines should only be taken to a setting when this is essential and settings should only accept medicines that have been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist.’
This resulted in some parents making unnecessary appointments to seek a prescription for a non-prescription medicine so that it could be taken in nurseries or schools.
It has now been amended to refer to ‘prescription medicines’. The Department for Education has confirmed to the BMA that an FP10 is not required and non-prescription medication can be administered where parents have given written consent.
Unnecessary GP appointments
It is a misuse of GP time to take up an appointment to get a prescription just to satisfy the needs of a nursery or school.
The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) licenses medicines and classifies them as over-the-counter, based on their safety profiles. This is to enable access to those medicines without a GP. The classification also applies in the educational setting.
If your practice is asked to prescribe over-the-counter medicines, Somerset LMC has produced a template letter which can be sent to the nursery or school.
Giving medicines to children
It is appropriate for over-the-counter medicines to be administered by a member of staff in the nursery or school, or self-administered by the pupil during school hours, following written permission by the parents.
The early years foundation stage statutory framework outlines the policy for administering medicines to children aged up to five in nurseries, pre-schools and playgroups.
Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Medicines
3.45.The provider must promote the good health, including the oral health, of children attending the setting. They must have a procedure, discussed with parents and/or
carers, for responding to children who are ill or infectious, take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection, and take appropriate action if children are ill 54.
3.46.Providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, for administering medicines. It must include systems for obtaining information about a child’s needs
for medicines, and for keeping this information up-to-date. Training must be provided for staff where the administration of medicine requires medical or
technical knowledge. Prescription medicines must not be administered unless they have been prescribed for a child by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist
(medicines containing aspirin should only be given if prescribed by a doctor).
3.47.Medicine (both prescription and non-prescription55) must only be administered to a child where written permission for that particular medicine has been obtained
from the child’s parent and/or carer. Providers must keep a written record each time a medicine is administered to a child, and inform the child’s parents and/or carers on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
This website is also a useful resource: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3
