This academic year, Andover implemented a new medication policy affecting the storage and distribution of student medication at the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center (Sykes). The Blue Book states that all boarding and day students taking any type of medication while on campus must register the medication with Sykes to prevent the misuse and sharing of medication.
While the majority of prescription medication will be allocated to students at the time of each dose, some over-the-counter drugs, including vitamins and supplements, may be approved for self-administration at limited quantities. Students with medications not cleared for independent use must now visit Sykes for each dose. Three windows will allow students to take their medication at Sykes: from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m, and from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Student Medication Policy and Acknowledgement states that if students or their parents fail to respect the policy they will be reported to the Dean of Students for “an appropriate response.”
According to Amy Patel, Dean of Health and Wellness and Chief Medical Officer, students are required to visit Sykes at certain time frames each day, in the morning before classes or at night, sometimes after final sign-in, to receive their medications. Patel outlined salient points of the policy as well as the shifts affecting the way students can obtain their medication.
“We have shifted our baseline med dispensing to a dose-by-dose practice. We also made some of the requirements clearer, such as registering all medications (prescription and over-the-counter medications) with the Wellness Center and individualizing dispensing plans with students, parent(s)/guardian(s), and the healthcare provider who prescribes or recommends the medication(s),” wrote Patel in an email to The Phillipian.
Patel continued, “We expect to see improved compliance with taking medication as directed, and students can also reach out for support sooner if they are having any symptoms or side effects. It will require that students plan ahead to pick up medications, but we are finding that almost all students are in and out of the Wellness Center in five minutes during the morning (which is when most medications are taken).”
Students taking medication are encountering shifts in their daily schedules as a result of the policy. Namely, a few reported having to go to Sykes past final sign-in with the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) because their medication has to be taken before they go to sleep, while some others reported having to wait in line before classes in the morning. Mia Isacson ’26 elaborated on her experience with accessing her medication.
“[My schedule] has changed so much. I take my medication before I go to bed, so either my whole schedule gets messed up because I have to go earlier or I have to take a Campus Safety car to Sykes before I go to bed… I don’t think the policy makes sense for Seniors and Uppers, because [there are] girls who take birth control in the morning. There is too much of a line [to get medication]. I go there, and although the whole [point of this] process is just to make sure people are taking their medication, that’s not happening. There [are] so many people [that the policy] is not helping. Facing the facts, Sykes has a hard time finding out who or where [to give the medication]. It’s a mess. It’s impossible. And [Campus Safety] is understaffed,” said Isacson.
Some students have also expressed the inconvenience of having to go to Sykes daily to receive dosages, and the lack of privacy they experience as a result, since other students waiting to get their medication see them in line. Charlie Gillick ’27 explained how the policy would possibly impact his daily routine in the future.
“Especially [in the] winter, which is when everybody starts getting a little bit sick, that’s usually the season when I take some Advil three days per week… I’m going to try to deal with it because it’s a pain going to Sykes every morning to get some Advil. I’m going to try, but if I can’t, I’ll end up just having to go to Sykes. That would pretty drastically change my morning routine. I’ll have to get up earlier. Especially as a cross-country athlete, I need my sleep, so it’ll be unfortunate… Having your medication in your room is also helpful so that you don’t need to call up Sykes and go through that whole process to test you [and] see what’s going on,” said Gillick.
Reflecting on the policy, Gillick acknowledged the need for some form of regulation on medications on campus. He shared his thoughts on how the policy has affected and will continue to affect the entire school community, as well as improvements that could be made.
“Overall, it makes sense to not completely trust kids [with their medication] for safety reasons… Maybe allowing students to have a controlled amount in their dorms could be a good idea. For example, I could last a week on maybe six Advil, that would probably get me through a week. At the start of a Monday, I would go in, get my weekly Advil, and then that would get me through the week, and if the worry is overdose, there’s no way to overdose on six tablets. They could hand out the tablets in moderation and keep track of how much students have at a time,” said Gillick.
Accordingly, Patel conveyed a willingness for Sykes to take responsibility for any issues that may arise due to the policy.
“We put a lot of thought into the new procedures ahead of time to try to anticipate and address complications or challenges. We are prepared to address anything that comes to our attention,” said Patel.
