Individual Plans (IPs)

Principals are required to develop individual plans (IPs) for students with anaphylactic allergies. The 
IP must inform employees who are in direct contact with the student of the type of allergy, monitoring, 
avoidance strategies, and appropriate treatment.

The IP must also include readily accessible emergency procedures and storage for autoinjectors.

What Members Should Know About Autoinjectors

Members should be informed of:

O their school board’s and principal’s policies on anaphylaxis;
O which students in the school are susceptible to an anaphylactic reaction, and which 

allergies are known for each student; and

O anyone pre-authorized to administer the autoinjector.

Members should also know that:

O the autoinjector is easy to administer;
O the autoinjector does not pose a health risk to students, even if it is administered 

unnecessarily;

O the autoinjector can be self-administered, but it should generally be done by, or with 

the assistance of, an adult because the onset of anaphylaxis can be debilitating; and 
that

O Sabrina’s Law provides immunity from lawsuits for any act done in good faith in 

response to an anaphylactic reaction.

Members’ Legal Obligations with Regard to 

Administering Epinephrine Autoinjectors

E

 Members have a common law duty of care to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of 

students. Failure to do so could result in a charge of negligence.

E

 A member might be the subject of a criminal investigation if the failure or refusal to administer 

an epinephrine autoinjector was considered criminally negligent or a failure to provide the 
necessities of life.

E

 Section 20(g) (Duties of Teachers) of Regulation 298 under the Education Act requires teachers to 

ensure that all reasonable safety procedures are carried out in courses and activities for which 
the teacher is responsible. These include positive steps that a reasonable parent would take to 
safeguard the health and safety of students.

E

 Collective agreements may have provisions limiting a member’s responsibility for performing 

medical procedures of any sort, but in an emergency situation the member may have to 
administer the epinephrine autoinjector because of the life threatening nature of anaphylaxis.

Human Rights Code

If the student is identified as having a disability under the Human Rights Code, the school board must 
accommodate a student’s susceptibility to anaphylaxis. Not to do so would be considered discriminatory.

For more information on epinephrine autoinjectors including videos on how to administer, go to:  
www.epipen.ca;

 or www.twinject.ca

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