Back-to-School Medication Checklist for NYC Families

Start with the correct school form

A prescription label alone is not the school medication authorization. NYC Public Schools uses Medication Administration Forms, or MAFs, to give the school clinical team the provider’s orders. A new form is required each school year, including for students who can take their own medicine. Start at the official NYC Public Schools Health Services page rather than reusing a saved form from an earlier year.

There are separate forms for asthma, allergies, diabetes, seizures, and general medications. The general form specifically says not to use it for those four conditions. Ask the treating provider and school nurse which forms apply to your child.

Bring a complete checklist to the provider

Before the appointment, collect the school’s name and contact information, your child’s student information, and an up-to-date list of medicines, including nonprescription products.

Ask the provider to address:

• The medicine’s name, preparation or concentration, and school-day instructions.
• When scheduled medicine is needed, or the symptoms that call for an as-needed medicine.
• Any conditions under which the medicine should not be given.
• Whether the student needs a nurse, adult supervision, or permission to self-administer.
• Field trips and other school-sponsored activities.

The provider completes the clinical order; parents should not fill in or change those instructions themselves. The school health guidelines also tell families to attach a small current photo and sign the back of the applicable forms.

Finish the parent section and nurse handoff

Read and sign the parent or guardian consent, update your phone numbers and alternate emergency contact, and keep a copy. Submit completed MAFs to the school nurse or school-based health center. Ask whether anything is missing and when the care arrangements will be ready; submitting a request is not the same as approval.

For the general MAF, the parent instructions require medicine supplied to school to be current, unexpired, new, unopened, and in its original bottle or box. Prescription medicine must have its original pharmacy label. Confirm requirements for your child’s specific medicine with the nurse before sending it.

Check these practical details:

• Who will receive the medicine and any necessary equipment?
• Does the label agree with the provider’s school order?
• What is the plan for trips, after-school activities, and replacement supplies?
• How should the school be notified if treatment changes?

Tell the nurse promptly about changes; do not simply send a different medicine with an old form. Students may not carry or self-administer controlled substances.

Keep school authorization separate from prescription questions

If your child needs supports beyond medication administration, ask the school’s 504 coordinator or IEP team about the additional parent request, authorization, and provider paperwork. A MAF is not automatically a complete accommodations request.

For prescription-related information, see Prescription services in Eltingville. The treating provider and school health team—not the pharmacy—complete the school authorization and review process.

Sources

• NYC Public Schools: Health Services
• NYC Public Schools: Health Services and Section 504 Guidelines
• NYC Public Schools: General Medication Administration Form