Published: 14/11/24

Our colleagues at Asthma and Allergy Foundation (AAF) are looking to raise awareness of the work that they do, as well as how Community Pharmacy can help support the rapid treatment of pupils at school where emergency treatment is necessary.

AAF provide evidence-based health information, confidential advice, and support to people with asthma, as well as their families, carers and friends.  They strive to ensure everyone receives the support they need to live healthier and more active lives. 

One of the areas that AAF are keen to raise awareness of is that some more recent amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations (2012) provide schools across the country with discretionary powers to buy and hold (without a prescription) Salbutamol inhalers and Adrenaline auto-Injectors (AAI) for use in an emergency. 

While schools are not required to hold salbutamol inhalers or AAIs for use in emergency situations, they should be aware that there are many benefits of doing so.  

Salbutamol Inhalers 

The Human Medicines (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 allow that emergency salbutamol inhalers may be purchased by schools on production of an order (ideally on appropriately headed paper), signed by the head teacher of the school. They can be purchased from a pharmaceutical supplier such as a community pharmacy. 

The signed order should state: 

• the name of the school for which the product is required; 

• the purpose for which the product is required; 

• the total quantity required. 

Once purchased, the salbutamol inhalers may only be administered to or used by children or young people who have been diagnosed with asthma, or who have been prescribed a salbutamol inhaler as a reliever medication. The salbutamol inhaler will only be used in an emergency when the child's own inhaler isn't available. 

Adrenaline Auto Injectors 

From 1 October 2017 the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 allow schools to obtain, without a prescription, adrenaline auto-injector devices, if they wish.  This guidance does not replace existing advice for use in emergencies which states that anyone prescribed with an AAI should carry two of the devices at all times. These spare AAI’s should be accessible in situations where the pupil’s own AAI is unavailable (eg. Out of date, misfire, etc). 

To purchase AAI, the school can issue a Community Pharmacy with a signed order as above. 

It is important to note that the school’s spare adrenaline auto-injectors should only be used on children and young people where both medical authorisation and written parental consent has been provided to allow the school to do so. This includes children at risk of anaphylaxis who have been provided with a medical plan confirming this, but who have not been prescribed AAI. In such cases, specific consent for use of the spare AAI from both a healthcare professional and parent/guardian must be obtained.  

 In the event of a possible severe allergic reaction in a pupil who does not meet these criteria, emergency services (999) should be contacted and advice sought from them as to whether administration of the spare emergency AAI is appropriate. 

Further information can be found by accessing the following link: 

https://www.gov.scot/publications/supporting-children-young-people-healthcare-needs-schools/pages/7/ 

Useful resources can also be found at www.asthmaandallergy.org.uk.