ASCIA Action Plan Q&A

Further questions from Anaphylaxis Update: Schools and CEC Webinar that could not be answered during webcast.

• Are medical practitioners and hospitals aware of the ASCIA Action Plans? I have only ever received a completed and signed one of these once. Every other time I have had to send the ASCIA Action Plan with the family to go to their GP and get it signed.

  An ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis must be provided by the doctor/nurse practitioner prescribing the adrenaline injector as per the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) guidance on adrenaline prescription however in some instances this does not happen. The recently released Acute Anaphylaxis Clinical Care Standard encourages Emergency Departments to provide patients who have had an anaphylaxis with an ASCIA Action Plan when discharged. If a parent is not able to provide an ASCIA Action Plan, then providing them with a copy of the ASCIA Action Plan is recommended so that it can be completed by the child’s doctor.

• Is the advice regarding ASCIA Action Plans not needing to be renewed every year given to CEC services? Until our regulations are updated, we still required families to update them with their doctor annually.

  The National Allergy Strategy best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in schools and children’s education and care services recommends that ASCIA Action Plans are updated every 12-18 months when the child’s adrenaline injector prescription is renewed, or their allergies are reviewed. The National Allergy Strategy is communicating with ACECQA to try and align national regulations with the best practice guidelines.

   

• There is so much confusion about what schools and childcare services can put on a blank ASCIA Action Plan.

  ASCIA Action Plans are medical documents and therefore must be completed by the child’s doctor or nurse practitioner and NOT the school/CEC service. The parents should provide a copy of the child’s ASCIA Action Plan with a current photo to the school or childcare service. Therefore, the school and childcare service should not have to make any changes or additions to the ASCIA Action Plan.

• If a plan still has 6 months to go according to the review date, do they need to get another one even if they no longer expire?

  The ASCIA Action Plan includes a recommended review date, which should coincide with the next scheduled appointment with a doctor or nurse practitioner to obtain a new adrenaline injector prescription (approximately every 12 to 18 months).

  ASCIA Action Plans should be reviewed when patients are reassessed by their doctor or nurse practitioner, and each time they obtain a new adrenaline injector prescription, which is approximately every 12 to 18 months. If the patient is a child the photo should also be updated. If there are no changes in diagnosis or management, the medical information on the ASCIA Action Plan may not need to be updated.

• Can a school provide a blank ASCIA Action Plan to a family to take to a doctor?

  Schools and childcare services can provide blank ASCIA Action Plans to parents to have it completed by the child’s doctor or nurse practitioner if they haven’t been provided with one.

• Should the school follow up if a child is due for a review?

  Parents should know when their child’s adrenaline injectors are due to expire and well as when their child is due to have their ASCIA Action Plan reviewed by their child’s doctor. Many schools and childcare services remind parents when their child’s adrenaline injector is due to expire and they could also remind parents that their child’s ASCIA Action Plan is due to be renewed according the date on the plan.

• Can ASCIA First Aid Plans for Anaphylaxis be printed off the ASCIA website?

  Yes, these plans can be downloaded free of charge from the ASCIA website (https://allergy.org.au/hp/anaphylaxis/ascia-action-plan-for-anaphylaxis) and printed. Alternatively, colour copies can be ordered from Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia’s online shop - https://allergyfacts.org.au/shop/adrenaline-injector-trainers-and-resources

Content updated January 2022