By Liam Verster

EpiPens in schools

Schools in Grande Prairie are now equipped with EpiPens

Jan 30, 2020 | 1:35 PM

Under the new private members bill, called the Protection of Students with Life-Threatening Allergies Act, all schools in Alberta must be equipped with EpiPens.

Schools across the province, including in Grande Prairie, are now stocked with two EpiPens, one with a dose of epinephrine meant for a child, and one meant for an adult. The EpiPens will be replaced at the start of every school year, or if they are used.

Karl Germann, Superintendent of the Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools, says the EpiPens will be in the care of the schools principals, and demonstrated to a variety of teachers and support staff.

“Generally, when it comes to an injection, you only want so many people who are able to do it. Although everyone might be trained in it, often when it actually comes to poking someone with a needle, not a whole lot of people are going to want to do it.”

He says while EpiPens will be kept on site in the office, it’s still in the best interest of anyone with severe allergies to carry their own EpiPen, and to let staff know of their allergies.

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Superintendent of the Peace Wapiti Public School Division, Bob Stewart, says their schools are also equipped with EpiPens, which are also kept in the office.

However, unlike the Catholic Schools, Stewart says all staff are taught how to use the EpiPens.

Germann says some of their schools have been taking safety precautions a step further, and keeping Naloxone kits on school property.

The two high schools and one outreach school have been stocked with the Naloxone spray for the past year and a half, which Germann says is easier to use that the needle, though it is more expensive. He says the schools were chosen to carry Naloxone kits because they were either by community-based services, or they might have an encounter with other people from the community.

He says though they haven’t had to use the Naloxone in a school for anything a student has done, one has been used before.

“We had it previously when there was construction occurring on the school, but that didn’t even occur on the site. It was somebody who had an overdose and didn’t pass away. We’ve never had one on a school site, but it doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have one, and so it’s best to just have the safety measures in place.”

Germann adds that principals and select staff are trained with how to use the Naloxone. He says like the AEDs and EpiPens, not everyone is comfortable administering medication or performing First Aid, especially when needles are involved.

Stewart says the Peace Wapiti Division also has a few select schools equipped with Naloxone kits, and staff have been trained how to use them in case of an incident.

Germann adds the EpiPens and Naloxone are similar to the AED and the first aid kits, they have them as a precaution, but hopefully they won’t be needed anytime soon.