Scouts and Prescription medication.

[hops_scout 9]

Goldwinger, I don't know. In our school district, all of the "health techs" are RN's.

[funscout 11]

Last year was my first year at summer camp and I kept my sons' medicines with me, rather than turning them in to the nurse. After hearing about previous years when my older son couldn't take his nightly asthma pills because the Health Lodge closed before the scoutmaster could get there, I decided I would keep it all with me. I kept the pill bottles with me at all times, which was easy to do, since I carried a backpack. I didn't want to leave them in my tent, even locked up, so I just carried them with me.

 

I do understand that why the boys shouldn't keep prescription medicines on their own, since there could be other kids who decide to try those pills. But, I don't understand why each troop can't keep the medicines in a locked box at their campsite. Every morning, or more often, if needed, we could turn in a record (to the health lodge) of what each child has taken in case an emergency comes up and that information is needed.

[Vicki 11]

What happens in our council (and the out of council camps we've attended) is that the troop has an assigned med-person. That person has a signed waiver from the parent (yes, I understand the legal limitations of waives but they are a prima facie defense) that includes the schedule for meds, and the med in the original bottle. When I serve as the med-person, I keep a log of which scout took which med when. Knowing the scouts, I pretty much know which ones can be trusted and which ones have to be hounded, but all meds are with me. The camp situation, sharing tents, living out of packs, etc., is just too different from the regular home schedule and some of these guys need their med when they need it. Sometimes the reason they're taking it is because they have serious issues with keeping track of things.

 

I also make a point of researching any drug with which I'm unfamiliar. Some of these schedule III drugs are pretty scarey stuff that I wouldn't want anyone to accidentally gain access to.

 

Vicki

 

[Eamonn 61]

Vicki,

Seems to me that you are in fact obtaining all the necessary information, and agreeing to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time.

I don't know what the laws are in your state? But from what is in the G2SS I'd kinda guess that everything seems OK.

 

While maybe different? I have a bit of a problem when there seems to be a rule that demands Scouts hand over their meds.

As a parent I wasn't happy handing over the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time.

I was happy allowing my son to be responsible for himself and take his own meds.

Which as I read the Guide it seems to say is OK.

 

While not wishing to nit-pick!!

I think maybe a good reason for not handing over meds to a "Layperson" might be because they will also make a point of researching any drug with which they are unfamiliar with.

Maybe the Scout and his parents don't want you to know? This, I think is their right. Of course I could be wrong!!

While maybe there is a good argument to be made for knowing?

A scout who has tested positive for HIV/AIDS might not want everyone to know.

He and his parents have the right not to share this information and if by handing over these meds, someone is going to find out??

While I'm sure you would of course deal with information like this as being confidential.

Can we be sure that everyone would respect the privacy of the Scout?

Eamonn.

 

[Vicki 11]

Eamonn, I absolutely appreciate your point. The thin line between an individual's right to privacy and the group's protection is the one we're walking here. Just for the record, I am a big advocate for privacy.

 

But, for example, I'll use two extreme cases I've dealt with - one in NYLT when the parents took their scout off his meds for the summer, the scout started acting oddly (as in menacing other scouts with large sticks and breaking things), it was only because I was able to read through the whiteout on the med form and recognized the drug that I was able to deal with the problem effectively. The other one was diagnosed bi-polar (or schizophrenic, doc hadn't decided yet, don't ask me) - and had changed his med. Med reacted adversely and scout was defiant and oppositional way past his ordinary weirdness or the safety of the group. Called the parent but still had to deal with the scout until parent got there. Parent had not said a word about even the original condition, much less a med change. Significant issues that had to be dealt with on the spot.

 

So, group safety outweighs right to privacy in the case of medical care, IMO. Was I uncomfortable with the responsibility I was handed. YES! Do I, in all humility, think I was a better choice that the other folks available? Well, yes. Did I talk to anyone but the SM? Absolutely NOT! Did we talk to the parents involved about the need to let us know what's going on? YES! The latter scout, being a member of the troop, was told he could no longer come on campouts without a custodial adult.

 

Vicki

[Hunt 11]

I think it should be added that there are some scouts who are not ready to take responsibility for taking their meds at the right time. Some of these kids function well enough to go to summer camp without a parent, but they still will need somebody to remind them to take meds and to insure that they do. The issue, of course, is whether anybody is willing or able to assume that responsibility.

[Eamonn 61]

Vicky,

Calling the parent (Like you did!!) is your best protection.

Hunt,

You make a good and valid point.

But the way I read the guideline, it is up to the parent.

If a A Scout leader, is not willing to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time.

What happens next is up to the parent.

It might mean that a Scout has to not participate in the event. Or the Scouts parents attend? Or they make the Scout take the responsibility.

Ea.

[hamer82 10]

I have worked at a scout camp for 10 years and watched the transition from medications not being an issue to full regulation. As a kid not so long ago, at least I like to think, we would take any medications we needed to take in a little plastic sandwich baggie. No big deal. As the years have progress I think as most things unfortunately have, letting youth carry around medications (especially controlled substances) becomes a liability. I know at our camp we have a great health team, me being one of them but trust me I am by no means biased. Otherwise I just wouldnt have told you I was part of it. We have a RN there all day who collects the medications in the beginning of the week and then at meal times distributes them as needed. You make the statement that the kids should be responsible enough to handle there own meds. In my experience this is going to mean a week of no medication. Mainly because the last thing on a youths mind is taking his meds. These may be complicated by making that boy one with ADHD, or ADD. We usually have a hard enough time trying to get the child to come take his meds when we announce at meal time that the nurse will be over there at the corner table all during meal time for you to go get your meds. We usually announce this twice. So as for the issue of responsibility it still leaves it primarily in the youths hands we just get to hold onto the controlled substances. Our nurse and I have developed this system with several medication tracking forms that the parents can see at any time to see if there kids are taking there meds, when, and what so trust should not be an issue. It is a system that works for us, and we are just a simple operation. Hope any of this helped.

[eisely 13]

I don't have a clear answer to this conundrum, but I do want to respond on the privacy issue.

 

Parents need to disclose all medications to the adult leaders in charge of a trek of summer camp. It is absolutely vital that the adult leader know what medications are being taken.

 

I would come down on the side of having the adults keep and dispense the medications. There are some issues with local state law, but hopefully these can be resolved on a case by case basis.

 

The major exception to adult custody of medications is the "epi pen" for emergency treatment of allergic reactions to insect stings. Allergic scouts and adults need to have these on their person at all times. Also, the adult leader in charge needs to know about this condition.

[Gold Winger 9]

What I find humerous is the requirement that another person cannot administer your medications.

 

I'm diabetic and I've never been in a situation where I've needed a glucogon injection but if I did, I'd be unconscious and approaching death so giving myself the injection isn't an option.

 

Silly rules written by lawyers.