Everyone knows of the basic rules and regulations regarding the possession and use of illegal substances on North Allegheny school property. Most of my peers whom I’ve talked to follow these rules and don’t run into any trouble. We do sometimes hear stories about some students who get in trouble for drug use or possession, but that such events are uncommon at NASH. The rules and consequences regarding illegal activity do make sense, with one important exception: the consequences of having ibuprofen (i.e., Advil) not administered by the school nurse.

As someone who gets frequent and painful migraines, I find it very helpful to have Advil with me at all times so I can take it the moment I feel the onset of a migraine. Having the Advil immediately helps me not only feel better, but it also allows me not to take my heavier migraine medication that makes me extremely drowsy and nauseous, causing me to take the rest of the day off.

The problem is that our school district has a rule that students are not allowed to carry medication of any kind without intensive clearances (the exception is asthma inhalers). The reasoning is that once you start making exceptions you really don’t have a rule — it sort of diminishes all of the rules altogether. So, in North Allegheny’s case, the administration needs strict, concrete rules when it comes to drugs in school.

In order to take ibuprofen at school, students must walk down to the nurse’s office, take the medication, and then make the long trek back to class. In a large school like NASH, sometimes walking up and down three flights of stairs with a headache or other pains is annoying and quite draining. Even though the trip only takes about five minutes, sometimes the stress of missing a vital part of a lecture or not being able to leave the classroom due to tests or labs discourages students to get the help they need.

The NASH Student Handbook states, “Students are not permitted to carry prescription and non-prescription medication while at school unless written documentation from parent and physician is on file in the health office. This policy has been adopted to curtail indiscriminate self-medication, sharing of medication between students, and general control of all drugs in the student population… Any student who violates the North Allegheny Drug and Alcohol policy will be placed on Social Probation and not be permitted to attend any school sponsored field trips or overnight trips for the duration of the school year. Any pre-paid fees will be forfeited. All NASH Drug and Alcohol policy violations will result in a ten day out of school suspension. All second offense Drug and Alcohol Policy violations will result in an expulsion from school.”

According to NA School Board Policy #210, over-the-counter medications are items that “can be purchased or obtained without a licensed medical healthcare provider’s written prescription”. 

Advil and Tylenol fall under this category, along with many other common medications, such as Motrin, Pepto-Bismol, and Claritin. In order for a student to possess any sort of medication, prescribed or non-prescribed, a parent or guardian must complete both a medication permission form and a Request for Administration of Medication in School form, in addition to obtaining written authorization from the licensed prescriber.

Furthermore, for students who carry and self-administer emergency medications, an order is required from a licensed prescriber indicating that it is necessary for the student to carry the medication and that the student is competent of self-administration.

All of these rules do make sense in regard to student safety and identification of drugs entering the school. Without these regulations, students could easily bring prescription drugs into the school building and distribute to classmates and peers, leading to even more health and safety issues. When exceptions to rules are made, people can find loopholes and even more ways to bend the rules.  

The only issue I have is the school’s treatment of over-the-counter medications, mainly ibuprofen, as highly dangerous. Advil is a pretty simple solution to common headaches and pains without any dangerous or serious consequences.

With all due respect to the school nurse’s office, why aren’t students allowed to self-administer ibuprofen or Tylenol during the school day? I do understand the restrictions at the elementary school age, and even in middle school, but at the high school age, most students are mature and responsible to self-administer a widely available and commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

As long as the medication is kept in its original container or in a secured bag with the label, no confusion between dangerous medications will take place.  And allowing students to self-administer ibuprofen should relieve the nurse’s office of many unnecessary visits.