Emergency medication

Some children with epilepsy have medicines prescribed in case of an emergency, for example rectal diazepam or buccal midazolam. This is in case of a long seizure, or series of seizures. Members of staff may volunteer to administer medicines, or a school may employ someone with responsibility for medicines in their contract: for example this may be a pupil welfare auxiliary (PWA). The school principal should make sure that pupil, parents and especially members of staff know and understand their responsibilities.

Schools have a responsibility under the disability discrimination laws to make sure children with disabilities are not excluded from school or activities. This includes school trips and residential visits. Under the disability discrimination laws, school staff cannot be required to administer medicines, and school staff do not have to volunteer for training or responsibility. If there is no member of staff willing or able to give medicine, the school should look for other ways to make sure that emergency medicines can be administered. For example, the school could make arrangements for the school nurse, a paramedic or the child’s parents to administer the medicine if it is needed.

Before any member of staff becomes responsible for giving emergency medicine, they must be properly trained by a healthcare professional, for example an epilepsy specialist nurse. Guidelines on the training for administration of rectal diazepam and buccal midazolam are available from the ‘books’ section of Epilepsy Action’s online shop.

• More information about activities at school and outside school
• More information about long seizures that may require emergency medication
• Epilepsy awareness project for primary schools