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Health & Medications

It is our goal to provide the safest and healthiest camp experience we can for your son. Our well-trained medical professionals are at camp to provide support and care for campers who are not feeling well. They are a warm, welcoming team who are excited to support each camper.

How We Care For Your Son's Health

  • Our Health Center is staffed 24/7. We have a team of registered nurses ready to assist.
  • We partner with a local pediatrician’s office that can see campers who may need additional diagnosis or medical care.
  • All counselors are First Aid and CPR trained, as well as receive training on emergency epi-pen use.
  • Each week, our staff conduct a quick, but effective Health Check-In for each camper. We look for bug bites, scratches, or other issues that may be popping up.
  • Increased hand washing and sanitation practices are implemented at camp to support our campers staying healthy.
  • Campers are required to shower daily to wash off the sweat and dirt from running and playing outdoors. 

Communication

Our Camp Nurses will contact you anytime your son stays overnight in the health center or is seen by a physician. We also will call if we have questions on medications or treatment. Please feel free to call our Camp Nurses at any time to ask questions or share any information that would help care for your son. Call our main number (828)885-2153 to be in touch with a nurse.

Medical Forms

There are two forms regarding Camper’s Health, the Physical Exam Form and the Camper Medical Form. It is important that the physical exam form be carefully completed, signed by parent and doctor, and returned to camp, along with all other forms.  Click for the Physical Form.

The Camper Medical Form is available online through our forms dashboard, My.HighRocks.com.  Our Camp R.N. must have the medical information before opening day to prepare health center records and to alert the staff to special situations.

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Medications & Blister Packing

Anything taken to treat or manage a condition or symptoms is considered medication. All medications must be kept in the Infirmary. Except for second inhalers for asthma and prescription dermatological creams, campers are not allowed to keep medication in their cabin, including pain relievers, vitamins, and other over-the-counter medications. The nurses regularly dispense medications four times a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bedtime.

Our camp infirmary will be stocked with common over-the-counter medication and standing orders from our camp physician will dictate their use. Common medications include but are not limited to pain relievers, antihistamines, eardrops, wound ointments and creams, and antacids.

Camp High Rocks has changed the guidelines on medications at camp to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the administration of medicine while your son is at camp. To fully comply with state regulations and best practices concerning medication distribution at camp, our nurses cannot administer any daily medication that has not been filled by a pharmacy.  We require all of your camper’s prescriptions and over-the-counter medication to be packaged in blister pack containers by a pharmacy. This means all tablet and capsule medications, including vitamins or any over-the-counter medications, may need a doctor’s prescription. This includes OTC meds such as Zyrtec, vitamins, and supplements.

Medications that DO NOT need to be Blister Packed Include:

Liquid, refrigerated, or cream medications, EpiPens, and inhalers do not need to be blister packed, please bring in a labeled Ziplock bag with administration instructions. They must be in original packaging with the label.

Any medications taken on an occasional “as needed” basis like Claritin do not need to be blister packed. If your son takes allergy medication every day, that does not count as an “as-needed basis,” they will need to be blister-packed. You may simply bring the Claritin to camp in a Ziplock bag with your camper’s name on it. Any “as needed” medications must be in original packaging with the label. Please include an instruction sheet on the “as-needed medication.” Please include these on your camper’s “Medical Form” online.

Blister Pack Instructions

For opening day to run smoothly, please have medications blister packed before your camper’s Opening Day.  We require all prescribed medications, daily OTC medications, and all vitamins/supplements be blister packaged and dispensed according to our guidelines.

It has been our experience that large chains such as CVS or Walgreens do not offer this service, so please plan accordingly. Below are two flexible options to help you meet our camp’s medication guidelines.

Option 1: Camp High Rocks Local Pharmacy: Gordon Family Pharmacy – To go through Gordon Pharmacy, please fill out the form linked below with your camper’s information and email, fax, or mail to Gordon Pharmacy. For multiple campers, please fill out a form for each. This needs to be done no later than four weeks before your session. Through Gordon Pharmacy there is a $9.00 fee per blister pack. Gordon’s will deliver your medication to us or camp will pick it up – you do not need to plan to pick this up. Gordon’s late fee of $25.00 will apply if forms are later than one month before the session starts.

Gordon Pharmacy: 515 S. Broad Street, Brevard NC 28712 
Email: Lauren at gordonfamilypharmacy@gmail.com
Fax: (828)877-6487
Phone: (828) 877-6111

Option 2: Your Local Pharmacy – Ask your local pharmacist to package a supply of any prescription and over-the-counter tablet and capsule medications taken daily, in unit-dose (blister pack) containers.  If your pharmacist does not have unit-dose packaging available, please refer to Option 1. Please research Option 2 early in case your local pharmacy doesn’t offer single-dose blister packaging. Please fill a 30-day prescription, we will return medication that is not used back to you on closing day.

Vacation Overrides for Medications

You may need to fill a prescription for camp before your son’s next refill is available insurance-wise. Your pharmacy may have to do a “vacation override” to satisfy the insurance company. Gordon Family Pharmacy can work with your insurance company regarding vacation overrides, too.

How to Package

We use 30-day unit-dose packaging at camp. A separate unit-dose package (blister pack) is used for each time of day that medication is dispensed. Please do not have multiple administration times packaged in the same blister pack.

For example, if medication A is taken daily at breakfast, we need (1) a 30-day blister pack for medication A. If medication A is taken at breakfast and dinner, we need 2 blister packs for medication A. If 2 medications are taken at the same time of day, they may be packaged together or in separate blister packs.

Below is an example of what unit-dose blister packs look like. This example shows a 30-day unit-dose blister pack. It can be helpful to take this photo to your pharmacy as an example.

Should I pause my son’s medication for the summer?

Please consult with your doctor before starting or stopping medications before camp. We do not recommend pausing ADHD/ADD medication while at camp. ADHD medications can have the same benefits for your son in the camp community as it does in school. Helping him focus during activities or diminish impulsive behavior in social situations could give him the same advantage to succeed at camp.

Lice Checks

On Opening Day, in addition to settling in and enjoying activities, campers will be screened for lice by a professional from Heads Up AVL or our camp nurses. If lice are found, the camper will be treated that afternoon, and parents/legal guardians will be notified and billed. The cost is $250.00 and treatment is very effective allowing campers to jump right into the camp program. To avoid this charge, please check your camper for lice prior to arrival and make us aware if he or any siblings have been treated for lice in the past few months.

While not a health risk, lice are a problem in a community setting. Early detection makes treatment much easier and prevents the spread.