National center for infection control professionals, healthcare experts, manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and consumers focused on best practices in hand hygiene and hand sanitizer products

Thursday, March 19, 2009

New York Dept of Education: Hand Sanitizer Position

Below is an excerpt from a memo on the topic of the dangers of alcohol hand sanitizers sent to educational staff within the State of New York..


THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

SENIOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION – P-16

Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education

Office of Higher Education

To: District Superintendents

Superintendents of Schools

Administrators of Charter and Nonpublic Schools

From: Johanna Duncan-Poitier

Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education-P-16

Subject: Updated Information Regarding Alcohol-Based Sanitizers

We are writing to inform you of an emergency exemption to the requirements concerning administration of over-the-counter medication in school settings.

In April 2002, the State Education Department sent out a guidance memo titled “Administration of Medications in the School Setting.” This memo may be viewed at

http://www.schoolhealthservicesny.com/uploads/AdminMed.pdf.

This memo states that a written order from a duly licensed prescriber and written parental permission is required to administer nonprescription (over-the-counter) medication to students in the school setting. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are considered over-the-counter drugs by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Which is exactly why we've attempted to raise the NY State Dept of Education's awareness re:solutions to their problem and the fact that hundreds of schools in the US, Canada and other countries are embracing non-alcohol hand sanitizer products....Whether Soapopular brand, Hy5, or others...

Blogs are influencers, but not deciders. And many deciders to be influenced, they often need more than just a few reminders. We defer to our parents, educators, infection control experts, health care professionals and concerned friends in New York to express your views on the topic and to contact :

Sally Schoessler

New York Statewide School Health Services Center

email: sschoess@monroe2boces.org

No comments: