On March 22, 2024, Gov. Tony Evers signed Assembly Bill 914 (now 2023 Wisconsin Act 195). This bill allows schools to adopt a plan for the management of students who have asthma. As part of this plan, a prescription for stock albuterol can be issued in the name of a school (as opposed to an individual patient), so that this vital medication can be kept on hand and administered by trained school staff if someone is experiencing respiratory distress at school, or at a school-sponsored event.
A big win for school-aged children
While this is a huge win for school-aged children with both diagnosed and undiagnosed asthma in Wisconsin, we knew that the implementation of this new legislation would take time and could face challenges (as new things often do). The Wisconsin Asthma Coalition (WAC) has been working with a statewide group to gather resources, share education about the new legislation through webinars, newsletters and other outlets to spread the word and help facilitate implementation.
Working together to remove barriers
In November, a school nurse reached out to Carissa Hoium, MPH, program leader of the environmental health initiative, to inform her about an issue she faced while trying to fill a stock albuterol prescription in the Milwaukee area. Hoium was able to consult with statewide partners to problem solve, and then made several phone calls to pharmacies. The school nurse was connected with Hayat Pharmacy, where she was able to fill the prescription.
Together, we were also able to resolve the initial issue by working with the manager of a pharmacy chain to discover that a new employee was misinformed about the new legislation. This learning experience helped remove a barrier for future schools filling stock albuterol prescriptions!
The WAC would like to recognize Dena Saleh, operational manager at Hayat Pharmacy, as a Stock Albuterol Star! Saleh was not only able to help the school nurse secure her stock albuterol inhaler prescription, but she even provided resources for implementing the new policy in the school setting! Thank you, Dena and Hayat Pharmacy, for your amazing work!
Learn more and get involved
For more information about stock asthma medications in schools, visit our webpage. To recognize a stock albuterol star or share a success story from your school, please email Program Leader, Carissa Hoium, MPH.
Written by:
Carissa Hoium, MPH
Program Leader, Environmental Health