Managing Meds at College

[sfvmomof3]

Ok, I'll admit it, but I have a son (jr in college) and a daughter (freshman in college) and I regularly pick up and send their meds. It is just easier since one is a triplicate rx which needs to be picked up at home and because of insurance issues. Both kids call and let me know when supplies are running low.

[HImom]

Yea, we' ve gotten meds in HI & mailed them to S in LA. It is easier & he doesn't have easy access to a car & don't know whether how close any "participating pharmacy" is to his campus. I include meds in a "care package."

[heartbroken]

MY D claims that her sorority sisters have been stealing some of her ADD meds, especially earlier in the school year when she had just received a three-month supply through mail order and the missing pills were not likely to be noticed. She now has a lockbox for them.

Fortunately, we have had no issues with mail order delivering to her even though other family members get meds at a different address and in a different state. My D is supposed to handle the renewals directly with her doctor, but I have had to get involved from time to time. It is much better than last year when I found myself rushing to the pharmacy here and sending meds by Federal Express.

[martharap]

CountingDown--I sent you a PM. We also use Medco by Mail and they do ship our son's meds to his college and our meds to our home.

[Marian]

I refuse to use mail-order meds for myself because I have a curbside rural-style mailbox, and my mail is delivered in the late morning. Depending on the season, the meds could be subjected to as much as six hours of extremely hot or extremely cold conditions before I get home from work and get them out of the mailbox. I question whether they would still be effective after such mishandling.

But mail-order meds (or parentally shipped meds) could work out very well for a college student living on campus, where the mailboxes are inside the buildings.

Another thing about meds is that in my opinion, the strict rules of public schools hamper kids' ability to develop independence in this aspect of life. It may be a pleasure for your daughter to realize that when she's at college, she can actually carry her meds in her purse without fear of getting suspended. And there's no going to the nurse's office when it's time for a dose -- you simply go to the nearest water fountain.

If your daughter has been subjected to rigid meds rules at school, she might want to start getting used to carrying her meds and figuring out her own ways to remind herself to take them over the summer, just so that she has a chance to accustom herself to the medication habits of real human beings, rather than the absurd practices required of high school students.

[HImom]

Yea, the way I solved the mail delivery issue is to have it delivered to an air-conditioned office where someone would be available to accept delivery rather than my home (deliver it to a relative's law office). It has worked out well for me because I was appalled they would just leave it in the sun on my doorstep without regard to whom may wander by & what effect the heat & sun had on the quality of the meds in the package, despite my complaints.

My kids have not had hassles with their schools about their meds--depends on the meds & schools & kids involved, I'm sure. I know friends have had to fight with their schools for their kids right to have meds conveniently located for the kids' health & safety.

[MommaJ]

Thank you all for your thoughts. You've given me much to ponder. I may put D in charge of her meds beginning Sunday (she uses a weekly dispenser that starts on Sundays--I'm embarrassed to say I even fill it each week, at the same time I do my own). She doesn't drive, so I'll have to do the pickups, but I like the idea of her keeping track and calling in refills, then telling me when it's time to do a pharmacy run.

I looked up the Rite Aid system of automatic refills and it sounds good (they call when the refill is ready and call the doc when a new prescription is needed), so long as there is one nearby her eventual school. I've never used a mail order pharmacy and don't feel entirely comfortable about putting meds in the hands of the postal service when I often get bills that belong to a house with the same number as mine on a nearby street.

D takes everything in the morning, so school strictures haven't been a problem. She does carry a rescue inhaler for asthma, which is probably in violation of some school rule, but I'll be darned if I'll have her schlepping over to the nurse's office when she's having an asthma attack, and I can't imagine a teacher being nutty enough to turn her in for using it in class. But camp rules, necessary as they are, have been an impediment to D's developing any independence. Even as a CIT, D has been required to obtain her meds from the infirmary each day, and they call kids in over the PA system if they don't show up. At least at home no one checks up on her to be sure she's taken her pills.

[CountingDown]

My pills come in a styrofoam cooler w/ice packs during the summer. I have no choice but to do mail order; the cost to me by getting them locally is 50% of retail vs. $150/mo through Medco. Considering the annual cost for this medication alone runs the COA at a top college, I have no choice.

Controlled drugs sent via mail order have to be signed for by an adult over 21 (at least if UPS is delivering them). Shouldn't be a problem at college if there is an adult at the front desk during the day.

[jerzgrlmom]

My S takes numerous meds daily and has been able to handle it on his own so far (college soph). He sees his doctor every Aug and gets new prescriptions set up. His meds are "refilled" online (mostly 3 month supplies) and shipped directly to his college. He sorts them into those little daily/weekly containers, but he also uses little zip baggies we found at Walmart. They are really tiny and easily fit in his pocket. Much easier than lugging the weekly container if out and about for the day (or night).

I suggest having your child start handling meds now to get used to the responsibility. My son was at college three weeks before being sent to the emergency room (luckily just pneumonia). He has always kept his medical history, including updated medication listing, on the computer (and a copy with his meds) so he just grabs a copy on his way to the campus clinic (has been hospitalized 3 times now and this is just his soph yr). Now, if I can just get him to remember to carry $ and his medical and prescription cards. I am amazed the hospital admitted him the first time with neither school ID nor his med card. I guess they're used to stupid college kids. They called us to fax the info. I think arriving by college ambulance was what saved him. Twice the school has had to give him taxi vouchers to get BACK to the dorm. Fortunately, his school pharmacy provides short term meds or can order them if not in stock. During that first illness, he had IV meds in the hospital, then went without meds for a day or so because he didn't know where/how to get them (it was a Sunday when he was released I think). He finally got around to calling the school clinic or more likely, they called him to check up and that's how he found out he could get the meds right on campus. So, for all kids, it's good to have a plan BEFORE getting sick.

My son was in a single room, even as a freshman, so keeping meds in his room wasn't a real problem but when ill, being alone CAN be a problem. I made him contact me every so often and made him promise to have a friend check in on him a couple times a day or I threatened to call his RA. This year he's in a single, but it's within a suite, so there are definitely others around who would notice if his door isn't open at least some of the time.

It's definitely not fun being far away when you get that 3 am phone call, saying "I just wanted to let you know, pause, something's wrong. I'm losing feeling" That was my newest crisis. Waking up quickly, I was trying to recollect the House episode where a woman has a stroke and self diagnoses herself before she loses her speech...Crazy... it all worked out fine. He got himself to the hospital, it was a temporary condition and he has recovered. The upside is he found a great neurologist who I now have in my cell phone... I won't ask what else can happen because I'm afraid of the answer... the key is to stay calm and follow the plan.

[HImom]

Sounds like you & your S are working things out. You're right that we all plan as best we can & then live one day at a time while things evolve. Schools are becoming increasingly familiar with kids who have significant chronic health conditions on their campuses and HOPEFULLY more supportive of them.

[my-3-sons]

Another thing we do is have S carry a list of his meds, including dosages, in his wallet. This way he always has it with him for dr visits or emergencies.

[missypie]

Son has been acting a lot more hyper than usual, and the email from his teacher that he's failing her class due to lack of focus led me to try to find a psychiatrist to see him. (His ped has been writing his rx, but Son is going to be 18 in about 5 weeks.) There is exactly one psychatrist in our (densly populated) county that takes our (terrible) insurance, and he is too far away to go to in person every month for the refill. So now I'm reseraching other psychiatrists. Nothing like a 44 on a quiz to motivate Mom to deal with the meds!

[martharap]

My son wears a Medic-Alert necklace. All of his medical information is available if someone contacts Medic-Alert with his ID number. Last semester he was playing Ultimate Frisbee and his necklace got ripped off. He looked all over for it but the field was very muddy. Several days later someone found it, called Medic-Alert, who called me. They sent him a new necklace (I had an extra one at home which I had already sent). I feel more at ease knowing that if I'm not available or if my son is not conscious, his medical info is a phone call away, 24 hours/day.

We deducted the cost of the Medic-Alert membership on our Flex plan, and just yesterday read that some insurance companies cover it, so I'll inquire about that.