WHO: School nurses and health staff, children with asthma, families
WHAT: The Allergy & Asthma Network has several ways to support you in accessing lower priced medications, such as stock albuterol: 1) Physicians who can write standing orders for your school district (must know how many schools, how many inhalers, how many disposable chambers, and district office address); 2) An established relationship with CVS and GoodRX to obtain inhalers at a lower cost (typically $8-10 per inhaler); 3) An established relationship with LiteAire for disposable valved holding chambers and can purchase them for $3/chamber (minimum order of 400); 4) InspiraChamber valved holding chambers which can be donated to school districts for a shipping fee only. (Note: they are not disposable and must be cleaned after each use.)
These resources are important if your school has approval for stock albuterol or other prescription protocols.
WHEN: When your school district is having trouble getting asthma medication prescriptions filled
WHERE: Nationwide!
WHY: 1 in 12 children in Wisconsin have asthma. One in three children with asthma will miss school because their symptoms are not properly managed. It’s critical for children to adhere to a prescribed medication plan. However, we know availability and affordability of these medications is a major barrier.
HOW: Contact Tonya Winders at twinders@allergyasthmanetwork.com to utilize these services in your school district.
FYI: The Allergy & Asthma Foundation has a wealth of free education resources for your district to share with students, families and staff. They provide training on recognizing signs and symptoms of asthma, and how to respond during an asthma attack. Download the “Understanding Asthma Guide,” which contains everything you need to know for better breathing such as signs and symptoms of asthma, inhaler and nebulizer know-how, exercise and indoor air tips, management tool, and more.