The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) wishes to be
recorded in support for H.277, An Act Relative to Emergency Stock Epinephrine
in Schools.
This bill would require schools to maintain a stock supply
of non-patient specific epinephrine to be administered in the event of an
anaphylactic emergency. The Department of Public Health would be charged with
promulgating regulations that would require the epinephrine to be stored in an
easily accessible unlocked location, specify the number and type of epinephrine
auto-injectors required be based on school population, and require the inventory
to be checked at regular intervals for expiration and replacement. Individuals authorized to administer
epinephrine must meet certain training requirements which would be defined by
regulation. The bill also exempts a school
nurse or other authorized individual who provides, administers, or assists in
the administration of epinephrine to a student believed in good faith to be
having an anaphylactic reaction from liability for any civil damages for
negligence in acts or omissions resulting from the rendering of such treatment.
Schools are currently recommended to have an emergency
supply of epinephrine auto-injectors available to protect students with no
previous history of life threatening allergies. And, parents of children with
known life threatening allergies are also required to supply the school with an
epinephrine auto-injector at the start of each school year, for their child’s
sole use. Costs for these injectors have soared, adding a financial burden to
families. Often, at the end of each school year, the bulk of these
auto-injectors remain unused, have expired and must be disposed of.
The MMS, through a letter to each Massachusetts school
district superintendent earlier this month is encouraging schools to use their
own emergency supply of epinephrine auto-injectors for all children and require
the employees and parents of children with life threatening allergies to
continue to provide their school with an individualized health care plan.
Data from the MA Department of Public Health indicates that
the frequency of use of administration of epinephrine in schools is quite low.
Most school districts in Massachusetts report that either no units or only 1
unit being used throughout the district in a year, and only 6 of nearly 400
school districts reported more than 5 administrations throughout the district
in the school year. This indicates that a modest stock of epinephrine would be
sufficient to ensure sufficient supply.
In addition, a centralized supply of epinephrine
auto-injectors reduces the burden on school nurses to track expiration dates of
each student’s auto-injector. Of note, the policy would still require a
physician order to ensure that school nurses are fully informed of the relevant
information.
This policy has already been adopted in the town of
Shrewsbury. In a letter to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Dale Magee, MD,
a past president of the MMS and member of the Shrewsbury school board, stated,
“…having just a few doses per school rather than individually labeled doses is
less confusing for nursing staff and more than covers the need. [Adoption of
this policy] would also save parents hundreds of dollars per year.”
On behalf of the more than 25,000 members of the MMS, we urge
the Committee on Education to support H.277 as a life- and cost-saving initiative
in schools.
