Health dept. works with schools on new EpiPen program to protect kids

DUPAGE COUNTY — With the new Emergency Epinephrine Act now in effect in Illinois, The DuPage County Health Department is working with DuPage County schools who want to participate in this potentially life-saving program.

With life-threatening allergies among children on the rise, this new law permits Illinois schools to keep on hand a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors, more commonly known as “EpiPens.”

The Health Department has already signed up 20 County schools and looks forward to working with schools that may want to take part in this voluntary program. DCHD Leadership, including Medical Officer Dr. Rashmi Chugh and Executive Director Maureen McHugh, provided feedback and assisted with the implementation of this new law.

The Act became law in August, 2011, and permits schools to stock a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors, authorizes physicians to provide school districts and non-public schools with a prescription to obtain the auto-injectors from pharmacies, and permits school nurses to administer the epinephrine to any student having an anaphylactic reaction while at school.

Since schools had difficulty in securing prescriptions and standing orders from community physicians, the Illinois Attorney General's office announced a physician toolkit on Aug. 13, 2012, to facilitate participation.

The Health Department offers resources to schools to help them implement this new Act. Information and resources are posted on the Health Department's website. Please visit: http://www.dupagehealth.org/women-children-health-school-health

If schools would like to request prescriptions through the Health Department, they should complete the Prescription for Undesignated Epinephrine and Standing Order for the Administration of School Supplied (Undesignated) Epinephrine Auto-Injectors forms with your school district/school information. E-mail the completed forms to Bev Govednik, School Health Supervisor at bgovedni@dupagehealth.org. These completed forms will be signed by our Medical Officer, and then sent back to the schools.

Additional guidance and fact sheets on the Emergency Epinephrine Act and implementation are available at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/children/index.html.

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