Camping on meds

There was an article in the paper about a week ago (no link) that reported that about one fourth of kids at summer camp are on medications. The article closes with “It’s universal, and nobody really knows if it’s appropriate or safe”.

Depending on the medical care available at these camps I would say it is likely neither appropriate nor safe. Do they have staff present to recognize and treat side-effects or other reactions? Is secondary medical treatment accessible enough to handle possible complications? Do they have staff to deal with whatever the underlying condition is that requires medication? Is someone watching for and able to deal with problems of diversion of the medications (someone not supposed to be taking the medicine, getting a hold of it in one of a variety of possible ways)?

Poison ivy, allergies and ticks are big enough worries, but camping with pharmaceuticals raises a number of red flags for me. Granted, many kids really need their meds to stay healthy and function, but is camp really the place they should be?

I don’t have any answers to this one, just a lot of questions.