Rule 5180:2-18-11 | Administering medication and caring for children with special health needs.
(A) What is required for a child day camp to administer medication to a child?
(1) Written permission from a parent is required for the child day camp to administer the following to a child:
(a) All prescription medication.
(b) All non-prescription medication.
(c) All sample medication.
(d) All medical foods.
(2) Written parental permission is not required for school-age children to carry and use their own topical products including bug sprays, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen or emergency medication.
(3) A record of medication(s) and medical food(s) administered is to be kept for each child containing:
(a) Name of child.
(b) Name of medication and dosage.
(c) Date and time administered.
(d) Signature of the staff member that administered the medication.
(e) A record of medication administered is not required for non-prescription topical products and lotions.
(B) Who can provide instructions for administering medications or medical foods?
Instructions for administration are needed from the following individuals, depending on the type of medication or medical food:
(1) Instructions from a licensed dentist, licensed physician, physician assistant (PA), advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), or certified nurse practitioner (CNP) are required for administering:
(a) Medical foods.
(b) Prescription medications, including samples.
(c) Non-prescription medicines containing aspirin.
(d) Topical preventative products and lotions, when the instructions for use exceed or do not match the manufacturer's instructions, or the non-prescription medication is not stored in original container.
(e) Instructions are not required if the prescription medication is stored in the original container with prescription label that includes the child's full name, exact dosage and directions for use.
(2) Instructions from the child's parent are needed when:
(a) Following manufacturer's instructions to administer topical preventative products and lotions.
(b) The non-prescription medication is stored in the original container and used following manufacturer's instructions.
(3) Acceptable documentation formats for all instructions the child day camp utilizes to meet this rule include information provided on, but not limited to, the Ohio department of children and youth (DCY) forms, electronic patient chart systems, physician or hospital discharge instructions.
(C) What are the additional requirements for administering medication or medical foods?
When administering medications or medical foods, the child day camp is to:
(1) Not administer any medication, medical food, or topical product until after the child has received the first dose or application at least once prior to the provider administering a dose or applying the product, to avoid unexpected reactions. Emergency medications for the child are exempt from this requirement.
(2) Not administer any medication, medical food or topical product for any period of time beyond the date indicated by the licensed physician, PA, APRN, or CNP certified to prescribe medication, or licensed dentist or as directed on the manufacturer's instructions.
(3) Apply non-prescription topical products and lotions according to the manufacturer's instructions.
(4) Document each administration or application immediately after administering, including when school-age children administer their own medication. This excludes non-prescription topical products and lotions.
(5) Follow prescribed dosages or the manufacturer's recommended dosages for administering non-prescription medication.
(6) Complete separate documentation for each medication to be administered for each child, excluding the exempted items in paragraph (A)(2) of this rule. Written permission is valid for the time period specified on the permission, not to exceed twelve months from the date of signature.
(D) What are the requirements for storing medication, topical products and medical foods in a child day camp?
The child day camp is to:
(1) Safely store all medication, medical foods, and topical products immediately upon arrival at the camp. Ensure the medication, medical food, or topical product is stored per the requirements on the label in the original container with the child's name affixed. Non-prescription medications and topicals are to have a manufacturer's label containing directions based on the age and/or weight of the child.
(2) Keep medication, medical foods, and topical products out of the reach of children, unless a school-age child is permitted to carry their own emergency medication and documentation is completed and on file at the camp. If a school-age child is permitted to carry their own emergency medication, it is to be carried on their person or stored away from children in a location that only that child and child day camp staff members can access.
(3) Refrigerate, in a separate container, medications, medical foods, or topical products, if needed.
(4) Ensure that medications, medical foods, and topical products are accessible to child day camp staff members at all times.
(5) Ensure that medications, medical foods, and topical products are removed from the child day camp when no longer needed. Medication is to be discarded when expired, unless documentation is provided by a physician for continued use.
(E) What if a child has a special need or health condition?
(1) A written medical care plan shall be used for children with a condition or diagnosis that requires specific care and/or intervention by child day camp staff. The written plan shall include the following:
(a) The symptoms the staff should monitor which may require staff to take action.
(b) Administering procedures which require staff to be trained on those procedures.
(c) Avoiding specific food(s), environmental conditions or activities.
(d) Permission for the child to carry and administer their own emergency medication, if applicable.
(2) The approved child day camp is to:
(a) Ensure that there is a completed written medical care plan for each condition per child.
(b) Implement and follow all requirements of each child's medical care plan.
(c) Ensure that all child day camp staff members who are trained to perform the medical procedure have signed the medical care plan.
(d) Ensure that there is at least one child day camp staff member caring for the child at all times who has signed the medical care plan on the child's condition. This includes on-site at field trips.
(e) Keep the medical care plan in a location that can be easily and quickly accessed at all times, including being removed from the approved child day camp if there is an emergency where the children need to be moved to another location.
(3) The written medical care plan shall be on file with the approved child day camp by the first day of attendance or upon confirmation of a health condition.
(4) If the approved child day camp suspects that a child has a health condition, the camp may require a physician's statement within a designated timeframe.
(5) Only staff members trained on the child's needs and required procedures shall be permitted to perform medical procedures or other action needed for a health condition or a special need.
(F) What are the child immunization record requirements for an approved child day camp?
(1) A child who is not enrolled in a public or nonpublic school is to have a dated record of immunizations on file within thirty days of the child's first day of attendance.
(2) The immunization record is to contain the following information:
(a) The child's name and birth date.
(b) A record of the immunizations that the child has had, specifying the month, day, and year of each immunization.
(3) Immunization requirements as outlined in section 5104.014 of the Revised Code can be found in appendix A to this rule.
(G) What are the immunization record exemptions for children in an approved child day camp?
A child may be exempt from the immunization record requirements if one or more of the following statements are provided:
(1) A statement from a licensed physician, physician assistant (PA), or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) that one or more of the following apply:
(a) The child is in the process of being immunized.
(b) An immunization against a disease is medically contraindicated for the child.
(c) An immunization against a disease is not medically appropriate for the child's age.
(2) A statement from the child's parent that he or she has declined to have the child immunized against the disease for reasons of conscience, including religious convictions.
(H) What information regarding children's records can be shared?
Children's records are confidential but are to be available to DCY for the purpose of administering Chapter 5104. of the Revised Code and Chapter 5180:2-18 of the Administrative Code. The immunization records are to be subject to review by the Ohio department of health (ODH) for disease outbreak control and for immunization level assessment purposes.
(I) How long are child records to be kept on file at the camp?
All child records, medical care plans as well as written permission to administer medication or medical foods from parent or physicians are to be kept on file for twelve months from the date the documentation is signed or updated, which ever is later, even if the child no longer attends the camp or the documentation is no longer required for the child.
Last updated July 1, 2026 at 8:43 AM
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