Medication management in primary and secondary schools: assessing the practices and opinions of pediatricians.

OBJECTIVES: 1)To assess the awareness of pediatricians regarding the potential problems caused by children taking their medications before or during school hours 2) To identify the types of interventions pediatricians use to manage these issues 3)To assess the views of pediatricians regarding how well the process of medication management is handled by the schools that their patients attend. METHODS Thirty-five pediatricians completed a questionnaire inquiring about their prescribing habits for children under the age of 18, their views on the possible effects medications may have on children while at school, and what they do to minimize problems that may be associated with taking or being under the influence of medications while at school.
RESULTS: The largest group of responding physicians (42.9%; n = 15) selected "Somewhat Common" when asked how common it is that they prescribe medications that must be used before or during school hours. The majority of responding pediatricians surveyed (62%; n = 21) believe that taking medications at school can create special problems. The majority of respondents (59.4%; n = 19) disagree with the statement that "Medications in Illinois schools are well managed by a trained agent. These pediatricians utilize a variety of strategies to minimize problems caused by medication use during or before school, and the most common of these is the prescribing of sustained release products.
CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians who responded to a survey are aware of potential problems associated with children being under the influence of, or taking medications during school hours. As a result, many have devised ways to ameliorate and/or prevent potential problems.