Summer Camp Medication Policy: Forms, Storage and Who Gives Meds

A camp medication policy is the written system that follows every dose from the health form to the last day of camp: what you collect before arrival, how medication is checked in and stored, who may give it, how each dose is recorded and what happens when something goes wrong. Many of those steps are set by your state, so the answer to "can our counselors give meds?" in Connecticut is not the answer in Washington. This guide walks the whole summer camp medication chain, with named state rules, a checklist and a sample medication administration record.

What a camp medication policy has to cover

The American Camp Association's guidance starts with a point directors should take literally: the credential someone needs to manage medication at camp is state specific, shaped by pharmacy rules, the state's Nurse Practice Act and the rules for providers such as EMTs. The same article separates two jobs camps often blur. Deciding which medication a camper gets usually belongs to a physician, or a registered nurse working under physician protocols. Giving a dose already decided is a narrower task that can sometimes be delegated.

ACA's frequently asked questions list what the written policy should contain, from your definition of "medication" to how errors are reported (ACA). The sections below follow the order a camper meets them.

The summer camp health form: what to collect

State rules set the floor. Michigan's camp rules require a signed health history listing current medications, immunization status, physical limitations, allergies and special health needs (R 400.11127(1)-(2)). New York requires a confidential medical history with dated immunization records, updated annually (10 NYCRR 7-2.8(c)). Massachusetts requires a physical exam from the preceding 18 months at residential, travel, sports and trip camps, but not at day camps (105 CMR 430.151).

Physician orders and parent authorization

Connecticut shows what a complete authorization looks like. Apart from a few nonprescription topicals, no medication may be given without a written order from an authorized prescriber and written parent permission. The signed order must cover the drug, dose, method, timing, side effects, allergies and whether it is a controlled drug (RCSA 19a-428-6). New Jersey accepts written authorization from a parent, guardian or prescriber, or the camp's treatment procedures (N.J.A.C. 8:25-5.3).

Cover over-the-counter medicine too. ACA's CampLine guidance says treatment procedures, including over-the-counter remedies, must be reviewed annually by a licensed physician. The Alliance for Camp Health (ACH), which publishes medication guidance for camp nurses, suggests listing the medicines you stock on the health form with a way for parents to opt out (ACH, 2022). Add self-carry permission for emergency medication and, for campers with diabetes, the Diabetes Medical Management Plan.

Medication intake day and original containers

Opening day is where mistakes are caught or created. Michigan requires each camper to be screened within 24 hours of arrival, including checking in all medication in its original container, reviewing the health history and talking with the camper about current health needs (R 400.11127(7)). Container rules differ in detail. Massachusetts requires the original pharmacy-labeled container for prescription medicine. Wisconsin spells out the label contents and accepts a pharmacy pill pack with matching paperwork (ATCP 78.27(4)).

ACA's intake guidance adds useful checks: how long the camper has been on this dose, whether there is enough for the whole stay, storage needs such as refrigeration, and a record of what was handed in and what stays with the camper. Decide in advance what you will refuse, such as a label with the wrong name, and who calls the parent.

Storage, refrigeration and controlled substances

Locked storage is the default in the state rules we reviewed. Michigan requires "secure locked storage unless medically contraindicated" (R 400.11123(3)). New Jersey requires refrigerated medicine to be in a locked box, a locked refrigerator or a refrigerator in a locked room. Massachusetts allows locked storage or the controlled possession of the person giving it, with refrigerated items kept at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (105 CMR 430.160).

Emergency medication is the exception. Connecticut exempts auto-injectors, glucagon equipment, rectal seizure medication and asthma inhalers from the lock rule, requiring quick access out of other children's reach. A 2024 FAQ co-published by ACH and CampDoc, a camp health-records software company, says emergency medications should not be stored under lock and should be with the person who may need them (ACH and CampDoc, 2024). That is industry guidance, not law. If your rule just says "locked," ask your regulator about rescue medication.

Controlled substances need a count

Some of what you check in will be federally controlled. Schedule II's stimulant list includes amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate (21 CFR 1308.12(d)). Washington's nursing commission, in a non-binding advisory opinion, advises keeping controlled substances locked except during administration, with accountability processes (NCAO 2.10), and the 2024 ACH and CampDoc FAQ recommends a running count updated at every dose. In practice: count with the parent at intake, subtract at each dose, recount daily, and treat any mismatch as an incident.

At the end of the session, New Jersey requires unused medication to go back to the parent within three working days of the camper's last day. Connecticut allows witnessed disposal of medication not collected within seven days, but controlled drugs require the Department of Consumer Protection's direction. If you do dispose of medicine, the FDA's first choice is a take-back site or mail-back envelope (FDA).

Can camp counselors give medication? It depends on the state

Sometimes, under conditions your state sets:

A policy copied from another state's camp can put your staff outside the law. Where delegation is allowed, ACA's advice is to choose the person carefully, train them, get their acceptance and check that what you assume is happening actually is. ACA also warns that if unlicensed staff giving prescription drugs is a technical violation of state law, an insurance policy excluding willful, intentional or criminal acts may not cover the claim, so ask your carrier.

The people you hand the medication cart to should be people you have screened. VolunteerBadge runs background checks for camp staff and volunteers for $5 each, with ID-and-selfie verification on applications. That does not replace a state-required fingerprint check or child-abuse registry clearance; where your state requires those, run them as well. New staff can also take our free Camp and Retreat Safety course.

Self-carry of inhalers, epinephrine and insulin

Massachusetts lets a capable camper carry an epinephrine auto-injector or inhaler with written approval from the health care consultant and a parent. Wisconsin lets campers carry an auto-injector, inhaler, insulin or other medication used in life-threatening situations. Connecticut allows self-administration with parent and prescriber permission. The New Jersey and Michigan rules we reviewed do not address self-carry.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2019 camp policy statement recommended that campers learn to use their own emergency medications or devices before they arrive (AAP, HealthyChildren.org). Put in writing who decides whether a camper can self-carry.

Epinephrine at camp: stock epinephrine laws

A camper's own auto-injector only helps that camper. CDC's 2013 food allergy guidelines for schools and early care programs report that 25% of severe reactions at schools occurred in children who had never been diagnosed with a food allergy (CDC). Stock epinephrine, kept by the camp rather than for one named camper, can help close that gap where state law allows it. We verified five state laws that name camps:

• Ohio has a camp-specific law covering residential camps and child day camps, which are encouraged to keep at least two devices. A camp that stocks epinephrine must consult a prescriber before adopting a written policy covering storage, users, training and an immediate call to emergency services after use, and it reports each procurement and each use to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. The current version took effect August 26, 2026 (R.C. 5180.26).
• New York lets overnight, day and traveling day camps and their employees stock and use auto-injectors after training (Public Health Law 3000-c).
• Florida includes recreation camps as authorized entities and names camp counselors among those who may be certified after training; the certificate fee is $25 as of September 2026 (Fla. Stat. 381.88).
• Illinois includes recreation camps as authorized entities (410 ILCS 27/5).
• Iowa includes recreational camps; trained personnel give doses from a secured supply (Iowa Code 135.185).

We did not check every state, and coverage differs, so confirm yours with your medical adviser. Using epinephrine can also trigger a report: New York requires one to the permit-issuing official within 24 hours (10 NYCRR 7-2.8(d)), and Massachusetts within seven calendar days (105 CMR 430.154). Our free camp health and safety whitepaper compares reporting clocks across more states.

The medication administration record, entry by entry

The medication administration record (MAR) is the per-camper log of every dose. Connecticut's must show the medication, the dose ordered and method, the date, time and dose at each administration, the ink signature of the person giving it, and any refusal with the follow-up taken. It is reviewed before every dose and kept two years after the child leaves. Wisconsin requires the legal name, ailment, medication, quantity, date and time, the giver's initials and comments. The log must be a bound book with preprinted page numbers, software that will not let earlier entries be edited or deleted, or a date-stamped printout from health software that is filled in and signed by hand (ATCP 78.27(5)). The AAP's 2019 statement strongly recommended electronic health records to reduce errors.

A good entry lets someone who was not there reconstruct the dose. This example is hypothetical: invented campers and entries, not dosing instructions:

Doses not given, and why, matter as much as doses given. Our free camp health center log and medication record is built around that, with parent authorizations tracked per camper.

Medication errors: handle, log and report them

AHRQ's patient-safety primer describes medication administration errors as failures of the five "rights": right patient, medication, time, dose and route. It adds that distractions during administration are common and linked to more frequent and more severe errors (AHRQ PSNet). That argues for a quiet, scheduled medication pass rather than dosing in a busy dining hall.

When an error happens, care for the camper first under the error protocol your physician or nurse adviser wrote, including when to call 911. Then reach the health director and prescriber, tell the parent, record the facts and file any required report. Connecticut requires immediate parent notice plus written notice within 72 hours, and significant errors go to the Office of Early Childhood immediately by phone and in writing by the next business day. Massachusetts requires the medical log to include every medication administration error, whether or not anyone was hurt (105 CMR 430.155). Log near misses too; the camp incident and injury log keeps those records factual.

Day trips and off-site programs

When the nurse is not on a hike or overnight, ACA and ACH both say a nurse may delegate a trained person to give a single dose at a specific time, where state law allows delegation. Michigan requires the health policy to cover trips and requires each camper's emergency consent and health history to travel with any group overnight outside the area served by the camp's cooperating local emergency facility (R 400.11119; R 400.11127(6)). The 2024 ACH and CampDoc FAQ says to check state limits on repackaging and label repackaged doses fully, and treats pharmacy blister or unit-dose packs as original containers. Sign doses out and back in with a count, keep emergency medication with the group, and record who carries what on the camp transportation and trip roster.

Day camp versus overnight camp

Health staffing rules can split here. New York, for example, requires the camp health director on site at an overnight camp; at a day camp the director is available as the safety plan specifies, with a designated assistant if not on site (10 NYCRR 7-2.8(a)).

The work differs too. At a day camp, most daily medicine is given at home, so the job is midday doses, as-needed medicine and emergency medication that travels with the group every day, including on the bus. At an overnight camp you run several medication passes a day for weeks, manage refrigeration and refills, and keep controlled-substance counts across a session.

Campers with diabetes and other disabilities

A policy that says "we do not give injections" can collide with federal disability law. A 2015 bulletin from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey says the Americans with Disabilities Act requires private and municipal camps to make reasonable modifications unless they would fundamentally alter the program, to evaluate each child individually and not to charge parents for modifications. It adds that camps must train staff to give daily medicines such as insulin, and emergency medications such as glucagon (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey). It is one office's plain-language flyer and calls itself only a short summary of ADA obligations.

In February 2016 the Justice Department settled with the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA in Texas over a complaint that it declined to give insulin injections to a six-year-old with type 1 diabetes at its summer day camp. The YMCA denied the allegations but agreed to consider modification requests case by case, revise its policies, train staff on the ADA and pay the complainant $10,000 (ADA.gov archive).

The American Diabetes Association says programs covered by the ADA or Section 504 cannot refuse a child because of diabetes, and that state law often affects whether non-nursing staff may give insulin and glucagon (American Diabetes Association). Its care-task guidance states that trained non-medical staff may give insulin by the child's prescribed method (American Diabetes Association); see also its position statement for diabetes camps (Diabetes Care, 2012). The practical answer is to work out a lawful way to meet the need with your medical adviser and counsel, such as a licensed nurse or a state-recognized medication course, rather than a no at enrollment. See our special needs camp page for wider planning.

What the AAP statements and ACA standards say

The AAP's 2011 policy statement, Creating Healthy Camp Experiences, set out health recommendations for day and resident camps and was supported by ACA (Pediatrics, 2011). In 2019 the AAP published a newer statement from the same council, Improving Health and Safety at Camp, which its HealthyChildren.org summary calls an updated policy statement. It extends the recommendations to family camps and is supported by ACA and the Association of Camp Nursing (Pediatrics, 2019). According to the AAP's summary, it asked camps to check local rules on stocking unassigned epinephrine and other emergency medications, with protocols, training and easily reached storage. The journal page for the 2019 statement shows it was reaffirmed in October 2024 (Pediatrics). The AAP reviews policy statements on a five-year cycle and may reaffirm, revise or retire them (AAP), so check the current status before your policy cites one.

ACA's accreditation standards include health and wellness standards on reviewing health information and collecting medication, as the 2024 ACH and CampDoc FAQ describes. ACA revises its standards periodically, so work from the current edition; our guide to getting ACA accredited covers the timeline.

Camp medication policy checklist

• Write down who may give which medication by which route under your state's rules.
• Get physician-signed protocols for stocked medicine, renewed yearly, and tell parents what you stock.
• Collect histories, required immunization records, prescriber orders, parent authorization, self-carry permissions and care plans before arrival.
• Check original containers, labels and supply at intake; count controlled drugs with the parent.
• Lock routine medication; keep rescue medication within reach, as your rules allow.
• Train and document everyone who gives medication, and recheck competence.
• Use a MAR format your state accepts, recording refusals and missed doses.
• Write an error protocol: care, notify, document, report, review.
• Plan trips: who carries what, sign-out and sign-in, rescue medicine with the group.
• Know your reporting deadlines, and return or dispose of medication at session end.

A medication policy is only as reliable as the adults carrying it out. VolunteerBadge helps before the season starts, with a $5 background check and a verified badge for each staff member and volunteer, alongside any checks your state requires.

Frequently asked questions

Can camp counselors give medication to campers?

Sometimes. Connecticut allows trained staff aged 18 or older, New Jersey allows an "adult designee" of the health director, and Wisconsin lets camps running longer than three days designate staff, who must complete a state course if they lack health qualifications. Washington's nursing commission, in a non-binding advisory opinion, says nurses generally cannot delegate medication administration to non-credentialed camp staff, so check your own state first.

Does a summer camp need a nurse?

Not in every state. New York requires a camp health director on site at overnight camps, and that person may be a physician, nurse, EMT or another person acceptable to the permit-issuing official. For accredited camps, ACA's standards add their own health-staff requirements; in 2022 ACH summarized them as a licensed physician or registered nurse on site at least daily at resident camps, so check the current edition.

Can kids carry their own inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector at camp?

Often, with permission. Massachusetts allows it with written approval from the camp's health care consultant and a parent, Wisconsin allows campers to carry life-threatening-situation medications including insulin, and Connecticut allows self-administration with parent and prescriber permission.

What is a medication administration record at camp?

It is the per-camper log of every dose given, refused or missed, showing the medication, dose, date and time, who gave it and any notes. Some states set the format: Wisconsin requires a bound book with numbered pages, software that blocks edits to earlier entries, or a date-stamped printout from health software signed by hand.

Can a camp refuse a camper who needs insulin?

Generally not just because of diabetes. A 2015 bulletin from the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey says camps covered by the ADA must make reasonable modifications for campers with diabetes, including those who need insulin, and must evaluate each child individually; a 2016 Justice Department settlement with a Texas YMCA made the same point. How staff can lawfully give insulin depends on state law, so involve your medical adviser and counsel early.

Sources

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