by Pine Cove
We are continually evaluating the latest state and church recommendations for our procedures to protect the health of campers, staff, and parents. Major updates are summarized below.
Safety at Pine Cove is a big deal. Especially medical safety. We distribute over 150,000 medications each year and put a lot of time and energy into training our camp staff and medical staff to provide the highest level of care possible when it comes to storing, giving out, and overseeing medication.
Meds, understandably, bring with them a number of questions. We’ve put together this guide to help you know what’s what when it comes to camper meds.
If you have additional questions or concerns about your camper’s medical care, email us!
For our East Texas camps (Towers, Ranch, Timbers, and Shores), email etx-med@pinecove.com.
For our Central Texas camps (Silverado, Outback, and Ridge), email ctx-med@pinecove.com.
For our Southeast camp (Springs), email se-med@pinecove.com.
It is critical to communicate about your camper’s medical needs on the camper’s medical form. These forms become available in your account to fill out one month before your camper’s camp session. It’s important to have ALL medications included on the medical form before we can accept them at check-in. Make sure that if you make any last minute changes to your child’s medication before arrival at camp, that you also update the medical form.
If this is your first summer, you also completed a medical concerns form as part of your registration. This is the form where you will make sure to let us know about any bigger picture concerns, like diabetes or individual care needs your camper may have. It’s important to let us know about these needs as soon as possible before their camp session so we can make sure both our camp teams and medical teams are prepared to serve them safely.
State law requires us to store all medications at the health centers. Exceptions are made for rescue inhalers, diabetic supplies, and epi-pens. Just be sure to mention your camper will need to carry these things with them on the medical form. This applies not just to campers, but also to our staff, so there’s no possibility of a camper getting into a staffer’s luggage and accessing medication.
This includes over-the-counter medications. Please do not store any over-the-counter (OTC) meds or vitamins in your camper’s luggage. We already keep many OTC medications in our nurses office for use as needed.
Please leave all non-prescription medications at home for the week. Standing in line for meds during mealtime is not most camper’s favorite thing to do, so if it’s not essential, your camper will thank you too!
If you believe your camper must have their own over-the-counter (OTC) medications, like a preferred allergy pill, then they must be placed in blister packs processed and filled by a certified pharmacist or by the manufacturer. Be sure to allow enough time for them to be processed and available by camp time. Please also know that we are well stocked with most OTC medications they might need! See a full list of the medication we keep on hand at the bottom of this guide.
During summer, medication is given out at meals from Monday breakfast to Friday dinner and bedtimes beginning Sunday night. Note that we do not give out meds at dinner on Sunday or breakfast on Saturday, so make sure to give your camper their dinner meds early when you drop them off at camp. If your camper takes medications daily at breakfast you can give it to them when you collect their meds at camper pick up.
Make sure to communicate with your camper what meds (if any) they should expect to be taking at mealtime, so they’re aware. It’s important that they know if they are supposed to stand in line for their meds prior to meals.
At Winterfest, medication is given out at bedtime Friday night through Saturday bedtime. At Sunday breakfast we will not give out medications, so if your camper takes medication daily at breakfast you can give them that medication when you pick them up.
Make sure to keep all prescription medication in its original prescription container. It’s easy to want to consolidate when you are packing and put all their meds for the week into a baggie—we get it! However, state regulations require all medication to be in containers processed by a pharmacist. We cannot make exceptions. Please remember to keep them with their original prescription bottle.
As a reminder, you should not need to bring over-the-counter (OTC) medications as we stock many in our clinic to be given as needed, but if you must send them, they too must be in pharmacy processed blister packs.
Speaking of state regulations, we also cannot administer prescription meds that are:
Regulations require us to follow the directions on all prescription medicine bottles or pharmacist processed blister packs.
Due to the already large amount of medicines tracked and given out during the week, we do not administer essential oils or vitamins, unless they are prescription (and in prescription bottle or in blister packs from a certified pharmacist). Please do not send them in your camper’s luggage.
Similar to essential oils, we do not administer CBD oil to campers, and we ask that you do not pack it in your camper’s luggage.
On Saturday you can pick up your meds from the meds pick up table before or after picking up your camper. Please don’t forget! Bring your photo ID so we can verify we are giving the meds back to the right person.
Posted Mar 1, 2022
Categories: Prep for Camp (Browse all)
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Tags: camp prep, medication, medicine, summer prep
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