OTC meds in camp setting

[rwik123]

This summer as a job before going off to college I might be taking up the job as a director of first aid type of thing. So basically just providing care to kids ages 5-12 in a summer day camp environment. It'll be strictly first aid I can imagine; tending to minor scrapes and cuts. As far as headaches and fevers go, what's the legality or protocol for giving Advil or Tylenol in a camp setting? Would it be putting myself in any danger of legal action if I gave a med like that, and there was a bad outcome? I think the best bet would be refraining from medications in general... Since it's not really part of my training to dispense meds. Maybe just contact the parents and send them home for the day, and let them deal with it?

Just wanted to hear some people's opinions!

 

[adamjh3]

Who will you be working under? Maybe see if you can get a medical director to sign off on you giving OTC meds as directed by the instructions on the box for specific issues? Like just for headaches? Anything that needs other meds that should go home or have their parents come in to administer meds or take them home, especially fevers.

 

[ejd372]

I worked in a position like the one you are describing at a Boy Scout camp for several years. When the kids came to camp, their parents had to sign a medical form which among other things gave permission to administer OTC meds. Our camp also had a medical director (some physician in town) who gave us epi-pens to use if we ever needed them since EMS would be a ways away most of the time.

 

[dixie_flatline]

I worked in a position like the one you are describing at a Boy Scout camp for several years. When the kids came to camp, their parents had to sign a medical form which among other things gave permission to administer OTC meds. Our camp also had a medical director (some physician in town) who gave us epi-pens to use if we ever needed to since EMS would be a ways away most of the time.

As a rambunctious kid who frequently found himself falling, scraping, cutting, or otherwise injuring himself (and later a staffer), I concur with the above. I don't recall it happening specifically, but I wouldn't be surprised if the medical director dosed me with a narcotic at some point, as much as I was gruesomely injuring myself.

That was many years ago now though, be sure to check with your management to be crystal clear about your role and responsibilities.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Definitely some liability issues. If you needed to give something to a kid would you be able to call a guardian before administering it? Remember that as a basic you could potentially get in trouble for doing things that a lay person wouldn't get in trouble for because we as medical providers are supposed to know better. Be careful of some of these camps. Just like any business they can be shady. I worked as a life guard for a well known summer camp system years ago and quit because I believed they were doing things that placed the children at risk (not enough life guards,non qualified life guards, improper storage of chemicals). A month after I quit there was a bad chlorine Spill that put several kids in the hospital. You might try calling other camps in the area and seeing what their policy is but I suspect you will not be able to give any meds except under very specific circumstances. Even school nurses aren't allowed to administer meds to students unless they are prescribed to the student by a physician and they have parental consent forms on record. With kids 5-12 most of what you will be doing is treating scrapes,bumps,bites, maybe a twisted ankle hopefully nothing major. If anything major comes up you'll probably be calling mom and dad and or ems anyway.

 

[ejd372]

Either way, They'll provide any meds and instructions on when and how to use them. It is also likely that you won't be working as an EMT per-se, but rather calling upon your training and knowledge to provide basic first aid, but better basic first aid than someone without training.

Regarding OTC meds, either their parents will have given advance permission for OTCs (as was the case at my camp), or you will have to call parents to get permission. They ought to have a procedure to follow - camps go nuts over anything that can cause them liability.

 

[rwik123]

Either way, They'll provide any meds and instructions on when and how to use them. It is also likely that you won't be working as an EMT per-se, but rather calling upon your training and knowledge to provide basic first aid, but better basic first aid than someone without training.

Regarding OTC meds, either their parents will have given advance permission for OTCs (as was the case at my camp), or you will have to call parents to get permission. They ought to have a procedure to follow - camps go nuts over anything that can cause them liability.

yup exactly. I was just trying to get a general consensus, because I wouldn't want to be involved in it if they expect me just to hand them out without proper med control or a permission process.

 

[HotelCo]

The camps I worked at, had the parents sign a consent form, granting medical personell at camp to do what they feel appropriate for the situation, including sending the child to the ER. I thought this was standard for all camps...

 

[firetender]

What would work best is if each parent fills out a detailed questionnaire about their kids' health, including OTC drugs that they've used in the past. If you have an "in" already set up, why not design a simple questionnaire yourself so you have something on file. It would include such things as allergies, bad reactions (or whatever) to past use of OTC products, and areas that they want to be consulted on first.

There are probably much better models out there than the ideas I presented. Find one and ask the sponsoring organization to make sure they get them filled in, thereby helping to reduce EVERYONE'S liability.