August 25, 2022 | Albuterol Inhaler for Asthma Emergencies at School

August 25, 2022

OKCPS Families, 

We would like to inform you about a new school health program that will make schools safer for students with asthma. 

This year Oklahoma passed a new law that allows your child's school to maintain and administer an albuterol inhaler to treat students who experience sudden life threatening respiratory distress while at school. Albuterol is an inhaled medication that quickly opens the tubes that move air into and out of the lungs making it easier to breathe. This medication is safe and effective. Because an asthma attack can happen at any time, having quick access to albuterol is important to make schools safe for children with asthma. 

Multiple staff members from your child's school will be trained to quickly and safely respond to respiratory emergencies. While school staff will make every effort to contact parents/guardians before giving albuterol, the law allows them to administer albuterol in an emergency without prior parent/guardian contact. 

If your child has asthma, we urge you to notify your child's school and provide them with an asthma action plan from your child's doctor. Because the stock albuterol inhaler is not intended to replace a child's personal inhaler, we also encourage you to send a personal albuterol inhaler for use at school if your child has asthma. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school's nurse or OKCPS Health Services. 

Thank you for your continued support of OKCPS.