August, 2010

Dear Due West Parents and Students:

I look forward to being the school nurse at Due West again this year.  I wanted to pass on some information about how the clinic is run.

Clinic hours are 7:30 am to 2:30 pm.  The clinic follows the policies, procedures, and clinic protocols of Cobb County Schools while rendering care and administering medication to students. 

The following are the Cobb County policies, in part,  for medication administration at school:

• Parents must complete an “Authorization to Give Medication at
  School” form available in the clinic/office for each medication given.
  
  
• All medication must be in the original, labeled container.
  Medications sent in baggies or unlabeled containers cannot be given. For
  prescription medication, please send an extra empty pharmacy bottle to
  be used for field trips and the After School Program.  Pharmacists may
  provide two labeled bottles for this purpose.
  
  
• The school does not supply over-the-counter medications.
  
  
• Parents must inform the school of any medication changes.  New
  medication or different doses cannot be given unless the parent
  completes a new medication form.  The information on the prescription
  bottle label must match the new consent form.
  
  
• Medications must be brought to the clinic/office by the
  parent/guardian.
  
  
• Over-the-counter medications may be given for up to 10 consecutive
  days with written parental permission.  A doctor’s note is required for
  over-the-counter medications that are given for more than 10 consecutive
  days.
  
  
• Students may carry inhalers, Epipens or insulin while at school
  with a completed authorization form that must be signed by the doctor
  and parent.  All other medication should be kept in the clinic and is
  not allowed to be carried in a book bag.
  
  
• Students may now carry cough and throat lozenges as long as the
  appropriate forms are signed by parent/guardian and on file in the
  clinic. 
  
  
• All medications not picked-up by the parents by the last day of
  school will be disposed of.

Some parents find it convenient to provide the clinic with over the counter medications such as Tylenol, cough medicine, stomach medicine, etc., at the beginning of the school year.  This eliminates extra trips to the school should your child need the medication during the school day.   

If your child goes home from school with a fever of 101 or greater, he/she must stay home from school the following day.  According the CCSD policy, students must be fever free, without a fever reducing medication, for 24 hours before returning to school.  This is for the
health and well being of your child, the other students and staff. 

From the clinic website, you are able to print clinic forms, get helpful health information, find out if your child is too sick for school, and view health related powerpoints.  It will be updated periodically throughout the year so please visit frequently.

The safety and well being of every child at Due West is my main concern. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to call, email or come by the clinic to see me.  I look forward to taking care of your children.

Charlotte Brumbach, RN
School Nurse
678-594-8071
Charlotte.brumbach@cobbk12.org