The NHS advocates self-care for minor health problems and patients should access advice and purchase medicines over the counter as and when they and their family need it, rather than being prescribed them by their GP or other clinicians.
Schools and childcare providers sometimes ask parents/carers to obtain prescriptions, or written permission from a GP for over the counter medication such as paracetamol before they will administer to the children in their care. To support the national self-care guidance, Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS would like to clarify the interpretation around the current guidance on the use of medicines in nurseries and schools.
• Schools and nurseries can only administer prescription medicines to a child when they have been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist.
• Non-prescription medicines (over the counter medicines) do not require any written consent from a GP or other healthcare professional to allow schools and nursery staff to administer them.
• All medication must only be administered to a child under the age of 16 where written permission for that particular medicine has been obtained from the child’s parent or carer.
Please see the following document for advice for parents, nurseries and schools regarding the administration of mediations.
