American Lung Association Provides Guidance for Schools to Stock Lifesaving Asthma Medication

This month, millions of kids headed back to classrooms for the 2023-2024 school year. While this is an exciting time for kids, parents and schools, it can also mean new triggers and management challenges for kids living with asthma. To help school administrators and staff provide care for students with asthma this school year, the American Lung Association announced a new, free online course, Stock Asthma Medication: Implementation Guidance for Schools.

“When children with asthma attend school, their safety and management of asthma becomes a shared responsibility of the family, their healthcare provider and school personnel. Although all 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed a law allowing students to carry and use inhalers at school, some kids are not able to access these lifesaving medications during the school day,” said Barbara Kaplan MPH, national director of asthma programs for the American Lung Association. “This new course will help schools prevent life-threatening asthma emergencies by putting protective protocols in place and preparing staff to respond to someone experiencing respiratory distress.”

Stock Asthma Medication: Implementation Guidance for Schools is a free, one-hour interactive online course designed for designated (licensed and unlicensed) school personnel who administer stock quick-relief asthma medication and stakeholders seeking to understand and implement relevant legislation, policies or programs. The course is divided into four modules that address essential elements from understanding the need for asthma-related policies in schools to successfully implementing a robust stock asthma medication program. 

The course will teach attendees to:

• Identify the benefits of implementing a stock quick-relief asthma medication policy in schools.
• Develop and revise stock asthma medication policies to protect students with asthma.
• Recognize and respond to someone experiencing respiratory distress.
• Administer stock quick-relief asthma medication.
• Document and report use of stock asthma medication.
• Implement a successful program by obtaining standing orders, quick-relief asthma medication and other supplies while addressing funding concerns, building awareness and conducting evaluation. 

The Lung Association is also hosting a webinar to inform people about possible solutions to overcome common barriers to implementing stock asthma medication programs in schools on September 20 at 3 p.m. CT. This webinar is free and open to the public. Those interested can learn more and sign up here.