Message from the Registered Nurse

In order for a student to receive a medication during the school day you are required to follow the FCPS Medication Administration Regulation. (Reg. 400-23)

The following checklist ensures regulation compliance:

• The appropriate Medication Authorization form must be completed by the student’s health care provider for the 2024 - 2025 school year.
• Parent/guardian and the health care provider must sign & date this form.
• Prescription medication(s) must be in a pharmacy labeled container with the student’s name, prescriber’s name, name of medication, dosage, route, directions for administration, conditions for storage, prescription date and expiration date. Maryland law allows prescription medication to be used only for 1 year beyond date of issue or until the expiration date indicated on the medication—whichever comes first.
• The health room staff can store no more than a 30-day supply of controlled medications for an individual student per state regulations
• Over-the-counter medication(s) must be provided to the school in the original sealed container.
• Prescription information on label must match the Health Care Provider Authorization information on the Medication Authorization Form.
• An adult must transport all medications to and from school. Medications must be given directly to Health Room staff.
• The first full day’s dosage of ANY new medication must be given at home. 

Please note Epinephrine, Diastat, Glucagon and inhalers have an expiration date printed on the device in addition to the pharmacy label. Therefore the container expiration date must be equal to or exceed the expiration date on the pharmacy label. Please make sure the expiration date on the individual medication container exceeds the expiration date on the label before leaving the pharmacy.

All forms can be obtained from Health Room staff or by going to https://apps.fcps.org/forms.  For further questions, you may contact the Health Room staff.
 

COVID-19

Frederick County Public Schools continues to follow guidance from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) regarding COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. Our strategies align with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We have also collaborated with the Frederick County Health Department (FCHD) in developing our mitigation strategy for the 2023-24 school year. Our routine prevention strategy is as follows and is being implemented to decrease the risk of COVID-19 and other respiratory illness transmission:

Face coverings
Welcomed for all who chose to wear one.
Encouraged as a precaution for individuals with known exposure to COVID-19 in the last 10 days.

Isolation
Encouraged if individuals are sick and suspect they are positive for COVID-19 even if they do not have test results.
Encouraged action based on test results:
Negative test: Return to work/school when symptoms have improved AND it has been at least 24 hours since last fever.
Positive test: Isolate at least five full days after exposure. Face covering encouraged for five days after returning to work/school.

Ventilation
School buildings continue being provided ventilation by introducing outside air through the HVAC systems. Upgraded filter media (i.e., MERV-13) have been installed to the greatest extent possible in air-handling equipment.

Hand Hygiene
Staff and students are encouraged to continue using proper hand washing practices. Hand sanitizer remains available in all classrooms.

Cleaning
High-touch surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected routinely.
Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting measures will be taken when three or more cases of COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses are reported in a classroom.

Communication
COVID-19 communication will align with how we communicate other respiratory illnesses.
Communication sent to parent/guardians of student(s) if three or more cases of COVID-19 or another respiratory illness are reported in a classroom.  Administrators will work with health specialists to determine when communication beyond an impacted classroom(s) is warranted.