About this information:
This information was prepared by the Legal Advocacy division of the American Diabetes Association® (ADA), a national leader in diabetes information and advocacy. This information covers state rules on diabetes care in Maryland schools, and may not include all the relevant rules and important details. While ADA strives to provide current information, laws and resources can frequently change. This information is not legal advice and professional legal advice should be sought as needed.
1. Does Maryland allow school staff members who are not health care professionals to administer insulin?
Yes. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland of Department of Health created guidelines pursuant to statute requiring training to ensure school personnel are available to administer insulin during the school day and at all school-sponsored activities with parental consent. MD. CODE ANN. §7-426.4.
“Unlicensed school staff may be trained to administer insulin or support self-management of other diabetes care tasks (e.g., blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration). These staff are not required to become a CMT if they are not administering medications as a routine part of their job duties. The school nurse determines if it is appropriate to train unlicensed school staff to provide diabetes care. This decision is based on nursing judgment on a case-by-case basis with the student’s health and safety as the primary concern. The acts of delegation to a CMT and/or CNA or training a school staff to administer insulin is not prohibited in the Maryland Nurse Practice Act, but both delegation and training must be done in accordance with the Maryland Nurse Practice Act, all applicable regulations, best practices and principles of delegation, and local school system policy. The registered nurse in a school setting (or any other setting) is not required to delegate or train an unlicensed person to perform a nursing task. However, in the absence of a delegation or training decision and plan, the school system is still accountable to ensure the student’s needs are met to comply with both state and federal laws.” Maryland State School Health Guidelines, Management of Diabetes in Schools, pg.21
2. Does Maryland allow school staff members who are not health care professionals to administer glucagon?
Yes. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland of Department of Health created guidelines pursuant to statute requiring training to ensure school personnel are available to administer glucagon in an emergency in accordance with health care provider orders and parental consent. MD. CODE ANN. §7-426.4.
3. Does Maryland allow students to self-manage their diabetes at school?
Yes. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland of Department of Health created guidelines pursuant to statute establishing a procedure for capable students to self-manage their diabetes care in accordance with health care provider orders and school nurse assessment. MD. CODE ANN. §7-426.4.
5. Does Maryland allow students with diabetes to carry cellphones or smart devices for medical purposes?
Maryland currently does not have any statewide cellphone restrictions or bans for schools. However, individual schools or districts may create their own policies. If your child is having challenges with cell phone access at school, please contact us at 1-800-DIABETES or email AskADA@diabetes.org. Additional resources can be found on our Safe at School homepage.
6. Maryland CGM guidance and CGM remote monitoring in schools.
Maryland Department of Health guidance states the leader of the school health services team should decide whether CGM remote monitoring is appropriate for a student based on a student’s unique needs, a nursing assessment and with the instructions in the DMMP.
“If CGM remote monitoring is appropriate for a student as outlined above, the school nurse should collaborate with school staff to: (1) Set up a school owned device for remote monitoring (iPad, iPhone, etc.); (2) Ensure alarms in the CGM follow app are the same as those written in the DMMP and require action to be taken by the school health team to provide treatment as needed; (3) Provide Wi-Fi access including password to student and parent/guardian; and (4) Re-evaluate individual and unique needs for CGM remote monitoring at mid-year and at the beginning of each new school year.” Caregiver’s Guide: What to Expect Regarding Continuous Glucose Monitoring in School, Maryland Department of Health.
Resources:
For more information, see the following helpful resources:
- Public School – Administration of Diabetes Care Services. MD. CODE ANN. §7-426.4.
- Maryland State School Health Services Guideline: Management of Diabetes in Schools (June 2019).
Additional Safe at School resources are available at diabetes.org/safeatschool. To receive information and guidance about a school diabetes care issue, contact 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or AskADA@diabetes.org.
