Medication management problems reported by subscribers to a school nurse listserv

Given the potentially serious consequences of suboptimum medication management practices in elementary and secondary schools and the fact that this topic has been subject to little empirical inquiry, the purpose of this study was to obtain a preliminary understanding of the types of medication management problems that school nurses face, as well as the strategies they use to solve those problems. An analysis of messages related to medication management that appeared on the SCHLRN-L listserv (a 1,400-member discussion group for schools nurses) was performed. All messages sent to the listserv during a 5-month period were monitored. Any discussion thread that began during this time period and addressed the management of medications was selected for possible inclusion in the study. The result was a group of 71 threads. The listserv participants described a wide array of medication management problems and suggested numerous strategies for solving them. This study shows that serious medication management problems exist in schools and that school nurses make use of various strategies or "tricks of the trade" to handle these problems. This research highlights the need for a contribution from the pharmacy profession in this important and neglected area of drug therapy.