Loackable medicine cabinet?

[M&AsMummy]

I would like to get a lockable medicine cabinet to store any medication I may need to store for mindees.

I have seen a lockable unit in Ikea that would do the job but just wondered if it had to have to green cross on the front like the first aid kits should have?

If you have one which one do you have?

Many thanks x

[Stormy]

I have the lockable Ikea cabinet, I bought a first aid sticker off the internet from a first aid supplier (8 years ago don't remember who) and just stuck it on the front. Does the job and Ofsted always suitably impressed.

[rickysmiths]

In 17 years of minding I have never had to save medication for a mindee that would go in a cupbaord. Only antibiotics which need to be kept in the fridge. I don't keep Calpol and if I have it for a child which is very rare, maybe twice in all my years of minding, it goes in a high cupboard in the kitchen for the day.

I have never had a lockable meds cupboard for the house. All meds are kept out of reach in a cupbaord upstairs where the mindees never go. In my flat they were in a high cabinet in the bathroom.

[sarah707]

I would recommend against a locked cupboard to store medication unless it is serious stuff like controlled medication (the chemist will tell you).

It is not a requirement of the Eyfs to lock medication away - you need to store it out of sight and reach of children and risk assess it in the house and when taken on outings.

Imagine some scenarios - a child goes into an anaphylactic shock and you can't get the lock open for his Epipen / a child has fits when his temperature rises and the Calpol is locked away and in your panic you drop the key behind a cupboard / a child usually self medicates with his inhaler but you lock it away for safe keeping - he has an asthma attack which is made worse because he is panicking as he cannot get to his inhaler and you are on the loo...

Lock your own family medication away yes but risk assess where you will safely keep a childminded child's stuff and make sure it is safe for taking on outings where appropriate.

Hth :D

[M&AsMummy]

Thank you very much for your replies.

Sarah where/what do you use to store any medication for mindees? Where I use to work they had ice cream boxes with the child's name & a red cross stickers on the top with different children's in-halers, EpiPens etc. I'm looking for something slightly more robust than this.

x

[MAWI]

I totally agree with Sarah
I look after an 11 year old who has an epi pen and asthma inhaler. They are kept in a pencil case , hanging on a hook that she can reach but little ones cannot, next to my first aid kit. I don't have a lockable cupboard. OFSTED were happy with this

[sarah707]

I use those click boxes from the £1 shop or similar. Each child has their own box.

I put a sticker on with the child's name, date of birth, medication name, time needed, expiry date etc.

I store them in my pantry which is lockable but not locked during the day - there's a padlock which sits at the top of the door out of reach of children just hooked over all day.

A high cupboard not accessible by climbers would also be fine or in a high kitchen cupboard if children are supervised in there.

I transfer contents to a ziplock bag when we go on outings and have the same info on a sticker on the bag.

that was all fine for my inspector recently :D

[Stormy]

I actually use the cupboard I have to store family medication, so it is out of reach of the children, I keep back up first aid supplies in there too, first aid kit is in changing bag.
I dont currently have any children taking medication but just place on a high shelf when I do.

[rickysmiths]

I would recommend against a locked cupboard to store medication unless it is serious stuff like controlled medication (the chemist will tell you).

It is not a requirement of the Eyfs to lock medication away - you need to store it out of sight and reach of children and risk assess it in the house and when taken on outings.

Imagine some scenarios - a child goes into an anaphylactic shock and you can't get the lock open for his Epipen / a child has fits when his temperature rises and the Calpol is locked away and in your panic you drop the key behind a cupboard / a child usually self medicates with his inhaler but you lock it away for safe keeping - he has an asthma attack which is made worse because he is panicking as he cannot get to his inhaler and you are on the loo...

Lock your own family medication away yes but risk assess where you will safely keep a childminded child's stuff and make sure it is safe for taking on outings where appropriate.

Hth :D

That has made me think, thank you Sarah. I have been lucky over the years because I have never had a child with Epipen or inhaler but I think I may put a bit in my Risk Assessment Folder about what I would do if I did. :thumbsup:

[M&AsMummy]

Thank you very much for all replies.

I've changed my mind on the medicine cabinet and will go for the clip lock boxes stored in a high cupboard in the kitchen, they are exactly what I wanted really but just couldn't think how/what they were.

x

[Eddisonsmum]

I git the one from dun elm mill at £12

[Tam's Tribe]

My friend looks after a little girl with a nut allergy and the Epi pen has to be with her at all time defo NOT locked away . . . The only medicine I have had is antibotics for the children and that stays on the top shelf of the fridge, and goes home eith them at night . . . It's the same with the first aid box, we were advised to keep it out of reach from LOs but not from over 8s who could get the first aid box for you, if you had an emergency plus nothing lockable, imagine if you couldn't find the key or waste time getting it!!