School allergy care
The 
MHRA guideline states that patients should have access to two AAI’s at all times, as a further dose might be required, or in case the AAI device is used wrongly or misfires. The Department for Education recommend that there should always be a spare set of AAI’s stored in the school, to avoid the risk of the child/parent forgetting to bring the medication each day. School aged patients are usually issued with two set of AAI’s – two devices to be stored in the school and two to be kept with the child at all times.
Personalised Allergy Action Plans
Upon diagnosis, the medical professional will issue the child with an allergy management plan. This is a written document and confirms the allergy has been medically diagnosed. The plan will state vital information including:
- The allergen(s) to avoid
- The management of a mild- moderate and severe reaction.
An example of a management plan is the BSACI Allergy Action Plan.
Medical professionals should issue two plans to the patient, one of which should be given to the school by the parent.
The school will then develop an individual healthcare plan, based on this management plan, for the pupils as per the Scottish Government Guidance. This should be developed with input from the parents, patient and healthcare professionals.
Individual health boards may use their own version of plan, however the content should not vary.
One type of AAI is recommended in all settings to avoid confusion over the administration technique. However, over the last 2-3 years, there has been a shortage of AAI’s. In light of this, at times different brands are offered to patients for the school and for the child’s emergency bag.
Updates on the AAI shortage can be found at on the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology or Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency webpages