NN 18/2024
DIE BESTUUR VAN MEDIKASIE
IN SKOLE
Die SAOU gee graag leiding waar daar onsekerheid is as gevolg van die onderwysdepartement se gebrek om riglyne of beleid te verskaf.
Die onderstaande Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing en beleid het implikasies in ‘n mindere of meerdere mate op die skoolomgewing. Gedurende 2010, na deeglike bestudering deur 'n DBO-taakspan, blyk dit egter dat in geen van die onderstaande enige verwysing is na die bestuur van medikasie in skole nie:
- The Medicines and Related Substances Control Act No. 101 of 1965
- Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act No. 108 of 1996
- Child Justice Act No. 75 of 2008
- The Children’s Act No. 38 of 2005
- The General Regulations Regarding Children, 1 April 2010 (as in the Children’s Act)
- South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996
- The Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools – as amended, 2006 (as in the SA Schools Act 84/1996), Paragraphs 8 A (7) and 8 A (8)
- The Nursing Act No. 33 of 2005
- Education White Paper 6, Special Needs Education (July 2001)
- Employment of Educators Act No. 76 of 1998
- Public Service Act, 1994 as amended by Act No. 30 of 2007
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act No. 75 of 1997
- Principles, guidelines, recommendations, proposed policies and programmes for developmental social welfare in South Africa, 1997.
Hoofde van skole en die beheerliggaam is daarom aangewese om staat te maak op hul eie kennis en interpretasie van algemene wetgewing, persoonlike ervarings en oortuigings om toepaslike skoolbeleide te ontwikkel. Die gevolg is dat daar geen konsekwentheid in die beleide en toepassing in skole is nie. Die skoolgemeenskap wat skoolhoofde, onderwysers, ouers en huismoeders insluit, kan wetlik kwesbaar wees indien die bestuur van medikasie nie volgens voorskrifte hanteer word nie.
Dit is dus belangrik dat die hoof van ‘n skool, in samewerking met die beheerliggaam, ‘n duidelike beleid daarstel wat die bestuur van medikasie op ‘n verantwoordbare manier sal reguleer. Die samewerking van ouers is krities om te verseker dat geen leerling benadeel word nie. Die onderstaande kan as riglyne dien:
1. Mag die bestuur van medikasie aan ‘n personeellid gedelegeer word?
- Die hoof kan enige van sy personeel, naamlik onderwysers, terapeute, kantoorpersoneel en huismoeders taak om die bestuur van medikasie te hanteer.
- Dit is belangrik om die gedelegeerde persoon ‘n basiese opleiding vir die bestuur van medikasie te bied, tensy die persoon ‘n gekwalifiseerde verpleegsuster is. Die opleiding moet op 'n deurlopende basis plaasvind.
- Die gedelegeerde persoon moet direk of indirek op ‘n gereelde basis aan die hoof rapporteer.
- Daar word aanbeveel dat die gedelegeerde persoon sover moontlik dieselfde persoon sal wees ten einde konsekwentheid te verseker en die moontlike foutiewe toediening van medikasie te minimaliseer.
2. Watter tipe medikasie kan by die skool gehou word?
Daar is geen wet wat verbied dat skedule 0-medikasie op ‘n skoolperseel aangehou word en aan kinders gegee word wanneer dit nodig is, en soveel te meer nie wanneer daar skriftelike toestemming van die ouer is dat die leerder tydens skoolbywoning sulke medikasie mag ontvang nie. (Skedule 0-medikasie is enige iets wat bv. by ʼn supermark van die rak af gekoop kan word). Die skeduleringstatus van enige medikasie staan op die verpakking. Dit beteken nie skole MOET medikasie aanhou nie. Dit beteken hulle MAG, sou die beheerliggaam besluit dis in die beste belang van die leerders. Dit is daarom belangrik dat die beheerliggaam die besluit moet neem en dat dit dan met groot verantwoordelikheid en streng kontrole geïmplementeer word.
Nie-voorskrifmedikasie en oor-die-toonbank medikasie (dit sluit alle medikasie in wat deur die ouer of versorger verskaf word om deur die kind gebruik te word, wat nie deur 'n mediese praktisyn voorgeskryf is nie.)
- Skriftelike toestemming moet deur die ouer gegee word vir die leerder om medikasie by die skool te ontvang.
- Skriftelike toestemming kan eenmalig aan die begin van die jaar van ouers verkry word om onnodige korrespondensie te vermy.
- Medikasie wat skool toe gestuur word, moet sover moontlik in die oorspronklike verpakking wees.
- Alle medikasie moet gemerk word met die volgende inligting: die naam en sterkte van die medikasie, naam van die leerder, die dosis wat geneem moet word, die tyd wat medikasie geneem moet word en spesiale bergingsinstruksies indien van toepassing.
- Alle medikasie moet by die gedelegeerde persoon ingehandig word.
- Nie-voorgeskrewe medikasie mag slegs vir ‘n maksimum van 7 aaneenlopende dae deur die leerder gebruik word.
3. Hoe moet voorskrifmedikasie hanteer word?
(Dit sluit alle medikasie in wat deur 'n mediese praktisyn voorgeskryf word en wat vir 'n lang of kort tydperk deur 'n spesifieke leerder gebruik word.)
- Skriftelike toestemming moet deur die ouer gegee word vir die kind om die medikasie by die skool te ontvang.
- Skriftelike toestemming kan eenmalig aan die begin van die jaar van ouers verkry word om onnodige korrespondensie te vermy.
- 'n Afskrif van die kind se voorskrif vir sy medikasie moet deur die ouer of versorger aan die skool verskaf word. Die etiket op die pakkie medikasie kan ook dien as afskrif van die voorskrif.
- Medikasie wat skool toe gestuur word, moet sover moontlik in die oorspronklike verpakking wees.
- Ouers is verantwoordelik om voldoende hoeveelhede medikasie te verskaf vir die tydperk wat die kind in die sorg van die skool sal wees of vir die tydperk wat die kind die medikasie sal moet neem.
4. Watter vereistes is nodig vir die berging van medikasie?
- Medikasie moet in ‘n veilige plek buite bereik van leerders en personeel gestoor word.
- Die volgende is belangrik vir die stoor van medikasie:
- Koel;
- Droog/ geen vog of humiditeit nie;
- Uit direkte sonlig; en
- Let op na die voubiljet van die medikasie vir vereistes van stoor.
5. Watter vereistes is nodig vir die bestuur van medikasie?
- Enige medikasie wat aan 'n kind op die skoolterrein gegee word, moet aangeteken of gedokumenteer word in toepaslike registers of op toepaslike vorms soos bepaal deur die skoolhoof of sy/haar afgevaardigde.
- Inligting wat aangedui moet word, is:
- Naam van die leerder;
- Naam en dosis van die medikasie wat ontvang is;
- Datum en tyd wat die medikasie gegee is; en
- Aard van die probleem wat behandel word.
THE MANAGEMENT OF MEDICATION IN SCHOOLS
The SAOU would like to provide guidance where there is uncertainty in the absence of guidelines or policy provided by the education departments.
The South African legislation and policy below to a greater or lesser extent have implications for the school environment. During 2010, after thorough study by a DBE task team, it appears that none of the following refers to the management of medication in the schools:
- The Medicines and Related Substances Control Act No. 101 of 1965
- Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act No. 108 of 1996
- Child Justice Act No. 75 of 2008
- The Children’s Act No. 38 of 2005
- The General Regulations Regarding Children, 1 April 2010 (as in the Children’s Act)
- South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996
- The Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools – as amended, 2006 (as in the SA Schools Act 84/1996), Paragraphs 8 A (7) and 8 A (8)
- The Nursing Act No. 33 of 2005
- Education White Paper 6, Special Needs Education (July 2001)
- Employment of Educators Act No. 76 of 1998
- Public Service Act, 1994 as amended by Act No. 30 of 2007
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act No. 75 of 1997
- Principles, guidelines, recommendations, proposed policies and programmes for developmental social welfare in South Africa, 1997.
Principals of schools and the Governing Body are therefore required to rely on their own knowledge and interpretation of general legislation, personal experiences and beliefs to develop appropriate school policies. The result is that there is no consistency in the policies and enforcement in schools. The school community, which includes principals, teachers, parents and hostel matrons, can be legally vulnerable if the management of medication is not handled according to directives.
It is therefore important that the principal of a school in collaboration with its governing body establishes a clear policy that will regulate the management of medication in an accountable manner. The cooperation of parents is extremely important to ensure that no pupil is harmed. The following can be used as guidelines:
1. May the management of medication be delegated to a staff member?
- The principal can task any of the staff namely: teachers, therapists, office staff and hostel matrons to handle the management of medication.
- It is important to offer the delegated person a basic training for the management of medication, unless the person is a qualified nursing sister. The training must take place on an ongoing basis.
- The delegated person must report directly or indirectly to the principal on a regular basis.
- It is recommended that the delegated person be the same person as far as possible to ensure consistency and minimize the possible erroneous administration of medication.
2. What type of medication can be kept at school?
There is no law that prohibits schedule 0 medication being kept on school premises and given to children when necessary, and even more so when there is written consent from the parent that the learner may receive such medication during attendance at school. (Schedule 0 medication is anything you can e.g. buy off the shelf at Spar or Checkers etc.) The scheduling status of any medication is stated on the packaging. This does not mean schools MUST keep medication. This means they MAY, should the Governing Body decide it is in the best interest of the learners. It is therefore important that the Governing Body must take the decision and that it is then implemented with great responsibility and strict control.
Non-prescription and over-the-counter medications (this includes all medications provided by the
parent or caregiver to be used by the child,
which have not been prescribed by a medical practitioner.)
- Written consent must be given by the
parent for the learner to receive medication at school. - Written permission can be obtained from parents once at the beginning of the year to avoid unnecessary correspondence.
- Medication sent to school must be in the original packaging as far as possible.
- All medication must be labelled with the following information: the name and
strength of the medication, name of the
learner, the dose to be taken, the time the
medication must be taken and special storage instructions if applicable. - All medication must be handed in to the delegated person.
- Non-prescribed medication may be used by the learner for a maximum of 7 consecutive days only.
3. How should prescription medications be handled?
(This includes all medication prescribed by a medical practitioner and to be used by a specific learner for a long or short period of time.)
- Written consent must be given by the parent for the child to receive the medication at school.
- Written permission can be obtained from parents once at the beginning of the year to avoid unnecessary correspondence.
- A copy of the child's prescription for the medication must be provided to the school by the parent or carer. The label on the medication package can also serve as a copy of the prescription.
- Medication sent to school must be in the original packaging as far as possible.
- Parents are responsible for providing sufficient quantities of medication for the period that the child will be in the care of the school or for the period that the child will have to take the medication.
4. What requirements are necessary for the storage of medication?
- Medication must be stored in a safe place out of reach of learners and staff.
- The following are important for storing medication:
- Cool;
- Dry / no moisture or humidity;
- Out of direct sunlight; and
- Pay attention to the package leaflet of the medication for storage requirements.
5. What requirements are necessary for medication management?
- Any medication given to a child on school premises must be recorded or documented in appropriate registers or on appropriate forms, as determined by the principal or his delegate.
- Information that must be indicated is:
- Name of the learner;
- Name and dose of the medication received;
- Date and time the medication was given; and
- Nature of the problem being treated.
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