The Board of Education of the North Colonie Central School District (the “Board”) recognizes that many factors, including the use and misuse of prescription drugs, can lead to the dependence on and addiction to opiates, and that such dependence and addiction can lead to overdoses. New York State Law allows schools to provide and maintain opioid antagonists (naloxone, also known as Narcan) on-site in each instruction school facility to ensure ready and appropriate access for administration during an emergency involving a student, staff member, or any other individual on school premises suspect of having an opioid overdose. Therefore, the District hereby adopts the following policy enacting appropriate protocols for the storage, maintenance, and usage of naloxone in our schools in an attempt to prevent opioid overdoses on District property.
The Board directs that the District shall operate an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program registered with the New York State Department of Health (“NYSDOH”). The District’s physician shall be the District’s registered Opioid Overdose Prevention Program Clinical Director. The Clinical Director is responsible for the following duties:
• Issuance of a non-patient specific order for the administration of naloxone for school registered nurses and trained volunteer responders; and
• Ensure overdose inventory, including naloxone is equipped and efficient; and • Reorder naloxone from NYSDOH when necessary; and
• Report to NYSDOH when naloxone is administered as soon as possible.
The Program Director of the Opioid Overdose Prevention Program shall be designated by the Board of Education and may be the Superintendent, School Registered Nurse, or Building Administrator. The Program Director is responsible for the following duties:
• Ensure approved policies and procedures are in place to provide guidance on the program and administration of naloxone; and
• Ensure there is a clinical director who oversees the clinical aspects of the program; and
• Establish training consistent with the District’s policies and NYSDOH guidance; and
• Ensure volunteer responders complete NYSDOH approved training and receive a completion certification; and
• Maintain a list of all trained responders in the District and distribute such list to the Building Principals and school nurses annually; and
• Establish and maintain a recordkeeping and documentation system for administration of naloxone, including but not limited to:
o Name of the person who administered the naloxone;
o Name of naloxone recipient (if known);
o Location/date/time/route when naloxone was administered; o Signs and symptoms displayed by the student or staff member prior to administration;
o Recipient’s response to naloxone administration;
o If CPR/rescue breathing/AED was administered;
o The name of the EMS agency providing transport, along with the name of the health care facility the student/staff person was transported to; and
o Signature of the person completing the documentation.
• Establish and maintain a recordkeeping and documentation system for inventory, including naloxone; and
• Act as a liaison with emergency medical systems; and
• Assist the clinical director in collecting, reviewing and reporting information on overdoses and when naloxone is administered; and
• Report to NYSDOH the number of doses of naloxone available at the schools in the District and number of overdose responders trained on a quarterly basis.
Naloxone kits shall be provided though the NYSDOH and shall be stored in the Health Services Office and Automated External Defibrillator (“AED”) cabinets. Naloxone shall be accessible during school hours and during on-site school sponsored activities and events.
Those who administer naloxone shall notify the Program and Clinical Director of such usage and when inventory or Naloxone is low. Overdose supplies shall be checked monthly by the Program Director or a designee, to ensure equipped and efficient supplies. Naloxone shall be replaced on the schedule indicated by the manufacturer or in any instance that the current supply in a particular building is low or exhausted. Naloxone that is deemed ready for disposal shall be disposed of in accordance with vendor instructions.
The procedure for those qualified to administer naloxone is as follows:
1. Administer naloxone in accordance with training
2. Immediately call 911
3. Alert the building administration
4. Notify student of staff member’s emergency contact(s) as appropriate
5. Complete an indecent report form
6. Inform the Program and Clinical Director of administration of naloxone
The District shall comply with the requirements of Public Health Law §3309 and other state laws and regulations including, but not limited to, appropriate clinical oversight, inventory recordkeeping, documentation, and notification and reporting requirements.
Volunteer Responders:
The Board permits the Clinical Director to issue a non-patient specific order for the administration of naloxone nasal spray by trained volunteer responders, to any student, staff member, or visitor on school property, who is suspected of having an opioid overdose. The non patient specific order shall include written protocol and contain elements required by Commissioner’s Regulation §64.7. The volunteer responders shall also contact emergency responders pursuant to their training. Licensed Practical Nurses may become trained volunteer responders but may only act as trained responders when not functioning as a school nurse.
Volunteer responders must complete NYSDOH training and receive a certificate of competition prior to possessing or administering naloxone.
The Board permits any staff member to volunteer to be trained in naloxone administration. To do so, the staff member shall contact the Program Director. All volunteer responders must review the NYSDOH training annually.
School Nurses:
The Board directs the Clinical Director to issue a non-patient specific order for school nurses to administer intranasal or intramuscular naloxone. The non-patient specific order shall include written protocol contained elements required by Commissioner’s Regulation §64.7.
The Board permits school nurses, who are Registered Nurses, to administer naloxone to any person at school or a school event suspected of experiencing an opioid overdose. School nurses shall be trained in current, evidence-based overdose assessment and response.
References:
Education Law §§922 (volunteer naloxone responder); 6527 (emergency treatment of anaphylaxis and opioid overdose); 3023 (liability coverage); 6909 (administration of naloxone by nurses)
Public Heal law §3309 (volunteer naloxone responder)
Commissioner’s Regulation §§ 64.7 (administration of naloxone; Part 136 (school health services program, including naloxone)
10 NYCRR §80.138 (volunteer naloxone responder)
Guidance for Implementing Opioid Overdose Prevention Measures in Schools, New York State Education Department, 8/11/15,
New York State Center for School Health: Opioid Overdose Prevention Resources
Opioid Overdose Prevention: Guidelines for Policies and Procedures , New York State Department of Health, March 2014,
www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/general/opioid_overdose_prevent ion/docs/policies and procedures.pdf
Adoption date: February 26, 2024