Rx for back to school

It’s back-to-school time! New schedules, new friends, and new activities replace summer play. Your child will be out of the house for hours at a time—and away from your care. Here are some tips to help make sure he or she stays healthy at school.

Starting kindergarten? This first year is the toughest—everything’s new, and some of it’s scary. Before the first day of school, your child must visit a pediatrician or clinic to be vaccinated against serious illness.

Try to make the experience as painless as possible, and prepare an after-vaccination treat for your brave child.

Most states require that children be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella, Haemophilus influenzae type b, polio, and hepatitis B. Some school districts may also recommend hepatitis A and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines. Check with your pediatrician, school, or local health department to find out which vaccines are required in your area.

Asthma, allergies, and other chronic conditions
If your child has asthma, diabetes, or any other chronic condition, tell his or her teacher as well as the school administrator’s office. If your child has a life-threatening allergy, such as an allergy to bee stings or peanuts, speak with all the adults who will be in contact with your child.

Impress upon them—and your child—how to prevent a problem and what to do in an emergency. For example, ask your child’s teacher to inspect treats before giving them to your child, and warn the other parents to avoid peanuts and peanut butter when sending in goodies for the class to share.

Schools usually allow children to carry medications such as asthma inhalers or bee sting kits to deal with emergencies. Check with your child’s school to find out whether they have rules regarding the use of these medicines. If this is the first time your child will be using a medicine such as an inhaler without your supervision, make sure that he or she has practiced using it properly.|

Aspirin-free zone
To combat the abuse of drugs, many schools don’t allow children to use or carry any medications. These rules can cover all prescription and nonprescription drugs—antibiotics, drugs for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or even aspirin for a headache. It’s a good idea to ask about the policy when your child first enters a new school, so that you’ll be prepared in case of illness or injury. Be sure to tell your child never to take any medications to school, except those needed and approved for his or her use.

If your child needs to take medicine during school hours, call the school’s main office to check the school policy. If your school allows your child to take medicine at school, leave it in the original pharmacy-labeled container and include a signed letter saying that you authorize its use. For prescription drugs, include a copy of the physician’s written prescription order form with clear instructions that explain how and when to use the drug. The school nurse or other authorized person can then give your child the medications as needed. You might want to ask your doctor to write extra prescriptions for medicines that your child needs both at home and during school.

Accidents will happen
Accidents and emergencies happen even at school. Give your daytime phone number (and wireless phone number if possible) to your child’s teacher so that you can be reached in an emergency, and make sure the school has a backup phone number for another adult who knows your child.

We’ll have more tips for dealing with children’s health through the school year. And if you’re not excited about getting the kids off to school, remember that winter vacation is only a few months away!

Holly Vance, Pharm.D., is a clinical pharmacy specialist for drugstore.com, the leading online pharmacy. Readers can find more answers to health questions online at drugstore.com’s pharmacy at www.drugstore.com.

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