EOTC Management FAQs
EpiPen availability
As a school, should we have an EpiPen always available in our first aid kit?
We would like to know:
1. Is it good practice for schools to carry EpiPens?
2. What training should be completed if we are going to carry one?
3. If we don't carry one, then presumably we need to absolutely make sure that students that require one have it, we know where it is stored/being carried, and under what conditions we need to administer it?
Answers
Absolutely. Check with and know who on your trips have any allergies and what treatment they require. Know where medication is stored and when it should be administered. Students will need to provide their required medication and have immediate access to this. Visually checking before you leave school and before setting out on activities if at camp (all be it discreetly) would be good practice.
Consider carrying an EpiPen in your first aid kit and know what to do with it if you are going to an area of high risk. For example, the South Island beech forest in summer where wasps are an identified problem.
You need to talk to your local pharmacy or medical centre to source an Epipen as it is a Pharmacist-only medicine. They will advise you.
Ultimately, it's up to your school board to decide whether EpiPens are included in first aid kits.
Resources:
- Health Conditions in Education settings - supporting children and young people (P27 has specific reference to EOTC that might help with these decisions)
- EpiPen Consumer Information from Allergy NZ at www.allergy.org.nz