804.5 Stock Prescription Medication Supply

The Knoxville Community School District seeks to provide a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors who are at risk of potentially life-threatening incidents such as opioid overdose. Therefore, it is the policy of the district to annually obtain a prescription for opioid antagonist from a licensed health care professional, in the name of the school district, for administration by a school nurse or personnel trained and authorized to administer to a student or individual who may be experiencing an acute opioid overdose. 

Procurement and maintenance of supply: The district may stock the following for each attendance center:

  • One dose of opioid antagonist. 

The supply of such medication shall be maintained in a secure, easily accessible area for an emergency within the school building, or in addition to other locations as determined by the school district.

The School Nurse shall routinely check stock of medication and document in a log monthly: 

  • The expiration date; 
  • Any visualized particles; or 
  • Color change. 

The School Nurse shall be responsible for ensuring the district replaces, as soon as reasonably possible, medicine that is used, close to expiration, or discolored or has particles visible in the liquid. The district shall dispose of stock medications and delivery devices in accordance with state laws and regulations.

Training: A school nurse or personnel trained and authorized may provide or administer any of the medication listed in this policy from a school supply to a student or individual if the authorized personnel or school nurse reasonably and in good faith believes the student or individual is having an opioid overdose. Training to obtain a signed certificate to become personnel authorized to administer an opioid antagonist shall consist of the requirements established by law and an annual anaphylaxis, asthma, other airway-constricting disease, opioid overdose training program approved by the Department of Education. 

Authorized personnel will be required to retake the medication administration course, training program and provide a procedural skills demonstration to the school nurse demonstrating competency in the administration of opioid antagonists to retain authorization to administer these medications if the following occur: 

  • Failure to administer an opioid antagonist according to generally accepted standards of practice  (“medication error”).

Reporting: The district will contact emergency medical services (911) immediately after an opioid antagonist is administered to a student or individual. The school nurse or authorized personnel will remain with the student or individual until emergency medical services arrive. 

Within 48 hours, the district will report to the Iowa Department of Education: 

  • Each medication incident with the administration of opioid antagonist; 
  • Each medication error with the administration of opioid antagonist; or 
  • The administration of an opioid antagonist. 

As provided by law, the district, board, authorized personnel or school nurse, and the prescriber shall not be liable for any injury arising from the provision, administration, failure to administer, or assistance in the administration of an opioid antagonist provided they acted reasonably and in good faith. 

The superintendent may develop an administrative process to implement this policy. 

Approved: 11/28/2022               Reviewed: 11/28/2022         Revised: 08/14/2023