RAISING AWARENESS OF STATE POLICY MAKERS REGARDING ANAPHYLAXIS AND EPINEPHRINE ACCESS IN SCHOOLS

With the rise in reported food allergies among students in the last 15 years, it is crucial that policymakers understand how to best prepare school personnel to deal with related health emergencies. To help with those efforts, the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is launching a new initiative designed to help state boards of education as they develop student health policies regarding anaphylaxis and epinephrine access and use.

The importance of this work is highlighted by the recent tragic deaths of students who came into contact with an allergen but were unable to access epinephrine because they did not have a prescription on file at the school. All too often, state and local laws and policies do not provide for this contingency. Yet in severe reactions, dialing 911 may not be fast enough to prevent the loss of life. This puts school nurses in an untenable situation—giving an injection and risking their nurse’s license, or anxiously hoping the paramedics will arrive in time.

As part of its initiative, NASBE will publish an Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Discussion Guide to provide a comprehensive treatment of the issue and set the stage for policy development. The guide will also aid boards and administrators at every level a tool to assist the creation of action plans and answer the questions critical to policy development.

“From bee stings to various foods, these allergens can trigger life-threatening reactions among students, and it is incumbent on us as policy leaders and educators to take actions that protect these children,” said NASBE Executive Director Jim Kohlmoos. “Before schools permit storage of, access to, and administration of epinephrine, states must draft specific and coherent student health policies that address this issue. As a leader in state-level student health policy, NASBE is uniquely positioned to provide evidence-based data to state boards as they do this important work.”

The discussion guide and related materials will be available free on NASBE’s website.  At the guide’s completion in the second quarter of 2013, NASBE will host an open webinar to guide potential users on how to best utilize the discussion guide, to have questions answered by experts in the subject, and to share best practices.