Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we would like to remind you about the importance of ensuring that all necessary medications and medication authorization forms for your student are submitted to the school health office.   Please see the guidelines below regarding medication administration during school hours.  Feel free to come by the clinic during the Wolverine Welcome on Friday August 16^th 3pm-5pm to drop off medication/forms.

Back to School Medication Drop-off

Emergency Care Form, Health Information Form and Medications

The goal of the health room is to ensure your student experiences a healthy and safe school year. To proactively plan, we ask that parents/guardians complete the Online/Verification Update packet in SIS ParentVUE to include emergency contact information, Health Information Forms, and Emergency Care Forms. The Online Verification Update (OVU) packet allows parents to review and update phone numbers, emergency contacts, and health information (such as health conditions and immunizations) for students in grades PS/HS and kindergarten through 12th grade. The enrolling parent will be able to access OVU through their SIS ParentVUE account. OVU will be available on July 29th. To assist you, follow this link to the site.

If your student will have a medication at school, please complete the appropriate authorization form: medication, inhaler and/or epinephrine. A new authorization form is required annually for medications kept in the health room, and for students who self-carry emergency medications such as inhalers or epinephrine.  Please note that an authorization form is also required for medications needed during any FCPS-sponsored activity occurring outside of regular school hours (ex: field trips, sports, band, drama, chorus, etc.) in accordance with FCPS Medication Administration Regulation 2102.

Parents may drop off unexpired medications and forms in the health room on Friday, August 16^th between3pm -5pm.  Once school begins, medication may be dropped off any school day from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. You may also contact the Public Health Nurse (Nikki Welch @email)  directly to make arrangements to drop off medications at an alternative time.   Students who are self-carrying emergency medication may drop off authorization forms in the health room. 

Medication Guidelines

FCPS continues to follow medication protocols to help ensure the safety of medication administration at school.  Important requirements include:

• Any time you drop off or pick up a controlled medication in the health room, both the parent/guardian and School Health Aide/FCPS staff member will complete and sign a Medication Delivery/Pick Up Form documenting, among other things, the type and quantity of medications dropped off/picked up.  A copy of the completed form will be provided to the  parent/guardian and school administrator.
• Medications will be reviewed to ensure the medication description on the container/packaging matches the medication in the container.
• All prescription medications must have a pharmacy label on the original pharmacy container. Over the counter (OTC) medications must be in an unopened original container. It is not acceptable for parents/guardians to bring in refills and transfer those medications into the container in the health room throughout the school year.
• Only a 30-day supply of prescription medications should be brought to school. No more than 100 tablets or pills of OTC medication should be brought to school.

Sincerely,

Nikki Welch RN BSN

Public Health Nurse II

Fairfax County Health Department

School Health Program

WP Office 703-718-2511

Cell 571-536-9784

West Potomac High School

Quander Road School

Pulley Center