Fifth Grader Shares Prescription Meds With Classmates

MIAMI, FL — At least five fifth graders at Liberty City Elementary School were taken to the hospital on Friday after a sixth pupil shared some of his prescription medication with them.

"He brought his prescription to school and distributed it to five other students who ingested it," said Miami-Dade Schools spokesman John Schuster, who told Patch that the pupils were taken to the hospital as a precaution. It was not clear if the child who gave the medication to the other children was also taken to the hospital.

Schuster said that none of the pupils, who took the medicine — clonidine — were sickened by it. School officials notified affected parents as their children were taken by ambulance from the building.

Clonidine lowers blood pressure by decreasing levels of certain chemicals in the blood. This allows blood vessels to relax and the heart to beat more slowly and easily, according to Drugs.com. Different brands are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and hypertension.

Schuster said that the pupil who gave the medicine to the children may face disciplinary action.

"Administrators will address the situation with the student with regards to our code of student conduct," according to Schuster.