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516.5 OVERDOSE MEDICATION

Adopted: August 24 th , 2023 MSBA/MASA Model Policy 516.5
Orig. 2023
Revised: Rev: June 2023
1 st Read: July 18 th , 2023
2nd Read: Aug. 24th,
2023

516.5 OVERDOSE MEDICATION
I. PURPOSE
As a means of enhancing the health and safety of its students, staff and visitors, the school
district will acquire, administer, and store doses of an opiate antagonist, specifically Naloxone
(Narcan) 1 , and administration devices or kits for emergency use to assist a student, staff
member, or other individual believed or suspected to be experiencing an opioid overdose on
school district property during the school day or at school district activities.
II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY
The school board authorizes school district administration to obtain and possess opioid
overdose reversal medication, such as Naloxone, to be maintained and administered to a
student or other individual by trained school staff if the staff member determines in good faith
that the person to whom the medication is administered is experiencing an opioid overdose.
Authorization for obtaining, possessing and administering Naloxone or similar permissible
medications under this policy are contingent upon: 1) the continued validity of state and
federal law that permit a person who is not a healthcare professional to dispense an opiate
antagonist to the school district and its employees by law; 2) that the school district and its
staff are immune from criminal prosecution and not otherwise liable for civil damages for
administering the opiate antagonist to another person who the staff member believes in good
faith to be suffering from a drug overdose; and 3) the availability of funding either from
outside sources or as approved by the school board to obtain and administer opioid overdose
reversal medication.
III. DEFINITIONS
A. “Drug-related overdose” means an acute condition, including mania, hysteria,
extreme physical illness, respiratory depression or coma, resulting from the
consumption or use of a controlled substance, or another substance with which a
controlled substance was combined, and that a layperson would reasonably believe to
be a drug overdose that requires immediate medical assistance.
B. “Naloxone Coordinator” is a school district staff person or administrator appointed
to monitor adherence to protocols outlined in this policy and referenced procedures.
The Naloxone Coordinator is responsible for building-level administration and
management of Opiate Antagonist medications and supplies. The school district’s
Naloxone Coordinator is [insert title of staff person appointed as coordinator].
C. “Opiate” means any dangerous substance having an addiction forming or addiction
sustaining liability similar to morphine or being capable of conversion into a drug
having such addiction forming or addiction sustaining liability.
D. “Opiate Antagonist” means naloxone hydrochloride (“Naloxone”) or any similarly
acting drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of

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a drug overdose.
E. “Standing Order” means directions from the school district’s medical provider that
sets forth how to house and administer Naloxone or other Opiate Antagonist
medications to students, staff members or other individuals believed or suspected to
be experiencing an opioid overdose. This Standing Order should include the following
information:
1. Administration type
2. Dosage
3. Date of issuance
4. Signature of the authorized provider
IV. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. The school district must maintain a supply of opiate antagonists at each school site to
be administered in compliance with Minnesota law. Each school building must have
two doses of nasal naloxone available on-site.
B. A licensed physician, a licensed advanced practice registered nurse authorized to
prescribe drugs pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 148.235, or a licensed
physician assistant may authorize a nurse or other personnel employed by, or under
contract with, a public school may be authorized to administer opiate antagonists as
defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 604A.04, subdivision 1.
C. A licensed practical nurse is authorized to possess and administer an opiate antagonist
in a school setting notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, 148.235, subdivisions 8 and 9.
D. District Collaborative Planning and Implementation Team
To the extent Naloxone is obtained for use consistent with this policy, the school
district will establish a district-wide collaborative planning and implementation team
(“District Planning Team”) who will oversee the general development and operations
related to the use of opiate antagonist Naloxone and regularly report to the school
board as to its activities.
1. The District Planning Team will include the Naloxone Coordinator and may
include the superintendent (or designee), school nurse, public health experts,
first responders, student or family representatives, and community partners
who will be assigned to the Team by the superintendent or designee or
solicited as volunteers by the superintendent.
2. The District Planning Team, through the Naloxone Coordinator, will obtain a
protocol or Standing Order from a licensed medical prescriber for the use of
Naloxone or other Opiate Antagonist by school district staff in all school
facilities and activities and will update or renew the protocol or Standing Order
annually or as otherwise required. A copy of the protocol or Standing Order
will be maintained in the office of the Naloxone Coordinator.
3. The District Planning Team will develop district-wide guidelines and procedures
and determine the form(s) of Naloxone to be used within the school district
(nasal, auto injector, manual injector) and the method and manner of

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arranging for the financing and purchasing, storage and use of Naloxone to be
approved by the school board. Once approved by the school board, these
guidelines and procedures will be attached and incorporated into this policy.
At a minimum, these guidelines and procedures will:
a. Ensure that when Naloxone is administered, school district employees
must activate the community emergency response system (911) to
ensure additional medical support due to the limited temporary effect
of Naloxone and the continued need of recipients of additional medical
care;
b. Require school district employees to contact a school district
healthcare professional to obtain medical assistance for the recipient of
the Naloxone, if possible, pending arrival of emergency personnel;
c. Direct school district employees to make immediate attempts to
determine if the recipient is a minor and, if so, locate the identity of
the parent or guardian of the minor and ensure contact with that
parent or guardian is made as soon as possible after administration of
the Naloxone for the purpose of informing the parent or guardian of
the actions that have been taken; and
d. Require school district staff to inform the building administrator or
other administrator overseeing an event or activity of the
administration of Naloxone, as well as the Naloxone Coordinator, after
taking necessary immediate emergency steps.

4. The District Planning Team will determine the type and method of annual
training, identify staff members at each school site to be trained and
coordinate the implementation of the training with the assistance of the
Naloxone Coordinator.
E. Site Planning Teams
1. In consultation with the District Planning Team, the administrator at each
school site may establish, in the manner the superintendent or Naloxone
Coordinator deems appropriate, a Site Planning Team within the school site.
2. The Site Planning Team will be responsible for the coordination and
implementation of this policy, district-wide guidelines and procedures within
the school site and will develop and implement any specific guidelines and
procedure for the storage and use of Naloxone within the school site in a
manner consistent with this policy and district wide procedures and guidelines.

F. School District Staff
School district staff members will be responsible for attending all required training
pertaining to the policy, procedures and guidelines for the storage and use of
Naloxone and performing any assigned responsibilities pursuant to the guidelines and
procedures.

V. NALOXONE STORAGE
A. Naloxone will be stored in the district office and the health office. Naloxone will not be

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sent on field trips, transportation or activities that occur outside of the typical school
day or off school property.
B. The selected storage locations of Naloxone will be classified as non-public “security
information" as the school board has determined that the disclosure of this data to the
general public would be likely to substantially jeopardize the security of the medication
that could be subject to theft, tampering, and improper use. Therefore, the identity of
the storage locations will be shared only with those school district staff members
whom the District Planning Team or Site Team have determined need access to this
information to aid public health and safety as determined in the procedures and
guidelines.
C. Stock Naloxone will be clearly labeled, monitored for expiration dates, and stored in a
secured location that is accessible by trained staff as set forth in paragraph V.B.

VI. Privacy Protections
The school district will maintain the privacy of students and staff related to the administration
of Naloxone as required by law.
Legal References: Minn. Stat. § 13.32 (Educational Data)
Minn. Stat. § 13.43 (Personnel Data)
Minn. Stat. § 13.37 (General Nonpublic Data)
Minn. Stat. § 121A.21 (School Health Services)
Minn. Stat. § 121A.22 (Administration of Drugs and Medicine)
Minn. Stat. § 121A.224 (Opiate Antagonists)
Minn. Stat. § 144.344 (Emergency Treatment)
Minn. Stat. § 148.235 (Prescribing Drugs and Therapeutic Devices)
Minn. Stat. § 151.37 (Legend Drugs; Who May Prescribe, Possess)
Minn. Stat. § 152.01 (Definitions)
Minn. Stat. § 152.02 (Schedules of Controlled Substances)
Minn. Stat. § 604A.01 (Good Samaritan Law)
Minn. Stat. § 604A.015 (School Bus Driver Immunity from Liability)
Minn. Stat. § 604A.04 (Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention)
Minn. Stat. § 604A.05 (Good Samaritan Overdose Medical Assistance)
Minn. R. Pt. 6800.4220 (Schedule II Controlled Substances)
20 U.S.C. § 1232g (Family Educational and Privacy Rights)
Cross Reference: MSBA/MASA Model Policy 516 (Student Medication)

Minnesota Department of Health Toolkit on the Administration of Naloxone
1 Naloxone is the medication that reverses an opioid overdose. Narcan® is the brand name for the internasal
applicator (nasal spray) form of naloxone. Naloxone usually refers to an intermuscular (IN+M) naloxone form that
comes in a vial and is administered with a syringe, normally dispensed as an “IM kit.”

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