INNISFAIL - Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) trustees have approved an update to the division’s procedure for administering medications to students, which now includes a prohibition on the administration of medical cannabis to students by school staff members.
First put in place in March 2010, procedure AP 3-23 also now includes a new medical safety plan and administering medication/guardian permission form.
“Medical cannabis is currently being prescribed by some medical practitioners but is currently not approved drug or medicine in Canada and the Canadian Medical Association does not support prescribing medical cannabis,” the procedure states.
“Medical cannabis in any form should not be administered to students by school staff. Medical cannabis should not be stored in a school facility in any form. Parents of students with a medical cannabis prescription must develop a plan with the school administration for the administration of the medical cannabis by the parent.”
If administration of medical cannabis by school staff is requested for extenuating circumstances, school principals would work with their liaison superintendent to consider the request.
Information required to consider a request for an exemption would include a written medical note by a medical practitioner that includes. specific time(s) of day that the medication should be administered. the exact dosage and method of administration. the exact strain of cannabis to be administered, the duration of the treatment and an outline of a procedure to be followed in case of a suspected adverse reaction, the procedure states.
As well, no consideration will be given to medical cannabis that must be administered through any form of smoking or inhalation.
Under the updated procedure, a school's principal will “ensure that all staff and bus drivers are aware of medical needs of all students in the school” and will “consider consulting with their student services liaison to determine whether a medical safety plan is appropriate for the student.”
Parents may request to the principal that mediation (supplied by the parent) be administered to the child during school hours.
“Such requests shall be in writing, specify the time at which such medication should be administered, specify the exact dosage and method of administration, specify the duration of the treatment, and outline procedure to follow in case of suspected adverse reaction.”
The procedure’s updated administrating mediation parent/guardian permission form states, “If the administration of the medication listed above is deemed more complex than employees are comfortable or exceed their current skill level, additional instructions beyond those specified in the above section of the form will need to be obtained by the parent from a licensed medical practitioner.
“These instructions must be provided in writing and signed by a licensed practitioner and approval from the associate superintendent student services will be attained, prior to the administering of the medication.”
The new medical safety plan includes a section to be filled out by a physician, including symptoms, allergies, accommodation and adaptions, and emergency response.
The complete updated procedure can be found on the division’s website cesd73.ca.
The 11,000-student CESD is headquartered in Innisfail, with schools throughout the district.
