SN Asthma | Healthy Environments Active Living (HEAL)

Each plan plays a specific role in managing a student’s asthma care at school to make sure everyone involved understands how to provide daily and emergency support.

Asthma action plan (AAP)

What it’s for: Lists daily and emergency asthma care instructions from the healthcare provider.
Who writes it: The student’s doctor, with input from the school nurse and parent/guardian.
Utah note: This plan includes permission to use medication and can also work as an emergency action plan (EAP).

Individualized health care plan (IHP)

What it’s for: Explains how asthma care will be managed at school. It is a written document developed by the school nurse using the nursing process, which includes assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Who writes it: The school nurse for their use.
Important note: The IHP is needed if asthma care tasks are shared with other staff.

Emergency action plan (EAP)

What it’s for: Summarizes what to do in an asthma emergency so staff know how to help.
Who writes it: The school nurse.
Who sees it: All staff who support the student.

Utah resources

Utah Asthma Guidelines 2025- new October 2025
Emergency protocol for treating respiratory distress in undesignated students - new August 2025
Utah Standards of Care: Asthma 2024
Resources for Schools (DHHS)
E-Asthma Tracker An online tool to track asthma symptoms and manage care

National resources

Stock albuterol is an emergency medication used to treat asthma symptoms in students. Schools can keep it available for use if a student has an asthma diagnosis, a current asthma action plan on file, and shows signs of an asthma emergency.

Participation in stock albuterol programs is voluntary for schools. Schools are not required to provide stock albuterol but may choose to participate by training staff and making stock albuterol available for emergencies.

Obtaining stock albuterol

Schools can access stock albuterol through a standing order provided by the State or a school district physician, local health department medical director, or department healthcare provider. The school is responsible for purchasing and maintaining the medication and related supplies

Option 1: Obtaining stock albuterol through Utah's standing order

Step 1: Go to the website for your medication’s standing order: Albuterol: https://redcap.link/AlbuterolSO
Step 2: Print the prescription sent to your email and bring it to your pharmacy of choice.
Step 3: Record the name and license number of the pharmacist who fills the prescription.
Step 4: Return to the same link in email to confirm you received the medication and submit the pharmacist’s name and license number.

Once these steps are completed, your reporting requirement for the standing order prescription will be fulfilled.

Option 2: Obtain stock albuterol from LEA healthcare provider prescription

Schools may also obtain a prescription for stock albuterol through a licensed health care provider who works with the school or LEA.

In this case:

The prescription may be written by the school’s provider
This sample prescription template can be used Stock albuterol blank Rx 2024 (docx)
The school may fill the prescription at the pharmacy of their choice (at their cost)

Training requirements

Any school staff who administer stock albuterol must complete initial and annual training provided by the department. The training covers how to recognize asthma emergencies, proper storage and use of stock albuterol, and emergency follow-up steps.

Schools are encouraged to have more than one staff member trained to administer stock albuterol to ensure coverage and availability in case of an asthma emergency.

After training, staff should keep the written materials for reference.

Asthma in Schools: Stock Albuterol Training canvas (2020) Will be updating training in 08/2025 to include new emergency protocol for undesignated students.

Administration of stock albuterol

In the absence of a school nurse, a trained staff member may administer stock albuterol to a student experiencing asthma symptoms.

Students with asthma action plan- follow instructions on student specific asthma action plan

Students without an asthma action plan- follow the emergency protocol for treating respiratory distress in undesignated students.

After administering, follow up with emergency medical services or appropriate medical contacts as outlined in the training materials.

Immunity from liability

Staff members and schools that act in good faith when administering stock albuterol in an emergency are protected from liability. This immunity covers actions taken under the law to assist students with asthma emergencies.

Storage

Stock albuterol must be stored according to state standards to make sure it is accessible in an emergency but secure to prevent misuse.

Parental responsibility

Schools should remind parents that stock albuterol is for emergency use only and does not replace a student’s personal inhaler. Parents must still provide their child’s prescribed asthma medications.