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In medical terminology, OTC means “over the counter,” but for this article, it designates “off to campus!”

This article is directed at you, the new student who will be going OTC miles away (or even just across town). While parents may find this article helpful, frequently advice coming from a non-parental source is more effective.

The transition from being sick and cared for at home to being sick and taking of yourself at college can be steep. That rang true for my college roommate who contracted chicken pox and neither Mom nor the primary doctor was even in the same state. Yes, he survived but….

How can a student with asthma or allergies transition to a new environment seamlessly and safely? By taking some simple steps and preparing a plan for illness and injury can allay the fears of your parents and frustrations for you.

Checklist for going OTC:

As part of HIPAA, (Health Information Privacy and Portability Act), if you are over 18 years old, you direct who views your medical information. If you desire your parents or others to speak with your doctors, your written permission is required.

Before you leave for campus:

• Have your local pharmacy transfer your prescriptions to the pharmacy or your current physician call prescriptions to a pharmacy in your.
• When applying for your room assignment, consider rooms with air conditioning if you suffer from pollen or mold-induced asthma or allergic rhinitis.
• Have a written anaphylaxis action plan, an up to date self-injectable epinephrine (EpiPen™ or Auvi-Q™)
• Obtain and wear a medical alert bracelet or other form. Now there are many options including necklaces, bracelets, belt…., shoestring….wallet cards. On these, you can indicate allergies (food, drug, bee sting) or serious medical conditions (asthma, heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
• On your “smart phone” include the I.C.E. (in case of emergency) data including name, medical conditions, medications, blood type, allergies, and contact numbers for parents or guardians.
• Vaccines: all colleges will have mandatory and/or recommended vaccines before attending school.

Once you arrive on campus:

• Stop in at Student Health Center: introduce yourself and provide your written Anaphylaxis Action Plan
• Let your roommate, resident assistant or dorm director know if you have serious food or bee sting allergies or asthma.
• While all schools allow service animals, some schools are now allowing pets on campus and in dormitories. If you have pet dander allergy, plan accordingly.
• If you have serious food allergies, contact and meet with the food service director and cooks on campus.
• The annual influenza vaccine is recommended for all ages by the CDC. There is both the “flu shot” or the nasal spray flu vaccine for those “needle shy” students.
• When visiting campus, make it a point to locate the nearest medical facilities off-campus such as urgent care clinics and hospitals.

If you are moving cross country and need to find a board-certified allergist/immunologist, go to www.acaai or www.aaaai.org find a doctor. A quick call to that office to introduce yourself. If you have a local allergist, ask him/her for the name of a colleague in another town. The world of allergists is quite small and most of us know or know of each other.

At Family Allergy & Asthma Care of Montana, we want all college students to be healthy, happy and safe. If your son or daughter will be attending Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman and may need an allergist, call us at 406-451-7017.

This information is solely for informational purposes and not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional.