Supporting Students with Asthma

Ohio schools can help students with asthma by procuring emergency inhalers, reviewing asthma action plans with families, and following relevant state laws to minimize its impact on a student’s daily activities and regular attendance.

Schools, especially their nurses, can engage with families of students with chronic health conditions, like asthma, to discuss their individual needs, symptoms, and plan. The Asthma and Allergy Network’s School Nurse Chronic Health Assessment Tool provides helpful guidance for discussing a student’s health with their parent or guardian. Schools can share the Asthma and Allergy Network’s flyer, "When to Keep a Child with Asthma or Allergies Home from School," to support families and student attendance when managing asthma or allergies.

Asthma Management Plan

Asthma is a serious, life-long respiratory condition, but schools can help manage a student’s asthma in partnership with the student and their family, school nurse, medical provider, teachers, and coaches. Prescribers and schools may utilize the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s sample asthma action plan to assist in the development of an individualized asthma action plan for students.

Inhaler Procurement Policy  

Ohio law allows city, local, exempted village, joint vocational school district, chartered or nonchartered nonpublic, community, STEM, and college preparatory boarding schools to procure or purchase inhalers for emergency use. Quick-emergency relief inhalers, like albuterol, may be necessary at school to treat asthma attacks. These quick-emergency relief inhalers contain a fast-acting medication that will open the airways making it easier for a child to breathe.

If a school chooses to procure inhalers, the school must adopt a policy governing maintenance and use of the drug. Before adopting the policy, the superintendent shall consult with a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs. The policy must meet all components listed in Ohio law.

A school district board of education, or governing authority may accept donations of inhalers from a wholesale distributor or a manufacturer and may accept donations of money from any person to purchase inhalers.

Reporting Inhaler Procurement and Usage

Ohio law requires city, local, exempted village, joint vocational school district, chartered nonpublic or nonchartered nonpublic, community, STEM, and college preparatory boarding schools that elect to procure asthma inhalers to report to the Department each procurement and each occurrence in which a dose of the drug is used from a school's supply.

• Public, STEM, and community schools should report in their data collection system which uploads into the Department’s Education Management Information System (EMIS). For more information on how to report in the system, contact the district's EMIS Coordinator or see section 5.3 of EMIS manual.
• Chartered nonpublic schools should report in the Non-Public Schools Data System (NPDS). See Instructions for Reporting in NPDS for further information.
• Nonchartered nonpublic schools should report in the Microsoft Forms link.

Emergency Inhalers and Student Possession

Ohio law allows for a student enrolled in a city, local, exempted village, joint vocational school district, chartered nonpublic, STEM, or a community school to possess and use an inhaler to alleviate asthmatic symptoms or before exercise to prevent the onset of asthmatic symptoms if the following conditions are met:

• The student has written approval from a physician and if student is a minor, written approval from parent, guardian or other person having care or charge of the student. The written approval shall include all required components listed in Ohio law.
• ​Copy of the written approval is provided to principal and school nurse, if a school nurse is assigned to the building.

​Free or Reduced-Cost Inhalers

• Financial assistance programs for inhalers for families.
• Drug manufacturer may have patient assistance programs.

Resources

Note: Many of the resources and toolkits below are national resources to assist schools in the development of their programs and plans. Schools should ensure that their policies and procedures meet the requirements of Ohio laws.

• Sample Asthma Emergency Action Plan
• Sample Stock Asthma Inhaler Policy
• Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit 
• Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools
• Stock Inhaler Toolkit for Schools
• The School-Based Allergy, Asthma and Anaphylaxis Management Program®: Comprehensive Asthma Educational Resource 
• Open Airways for Schools 
• Improve Asthma Management in Schools 
• Ohio Department of Health Asthma Resources
• U.S. Department of Education Section 504 Protections for Students with Asthma
• Controlling Common Asthma Triggers Found in Schools 
• US EPA Managing Asthma in the School Environment 
• IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit 
• Framework for Effective School Indoor Air Quality Management 

Last Modified: 5/20/2026 10:58:19 AM

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