SPARTANBURG--With a new school year under way, more students soon will be free to give themselves medicine at school under a new law signed by Gov. Mark Sanford.

The law creates a uniform standard across the state to deal with student medication. It requires local school districts to adopt a policy creating an Individual Health Care Plan for students with special health care needs. This plan will detail the health monitoring of the student during the school day.

The state Department of Education also must notify school districts and parents of the change in policy.

The Individual Health Plan allows students with chronic illnesses such as asthma or diabetes to self-monitor and self-medicate. This can be done with the consent of the doctor and parent, said Sen. William Mescher, R-Pinopolis.

Mescher said the bill originally was intended to cover students with asthma and allergies, but it now "covers any medication that the doctor and parent believe should be carried on the body of the individual."

State Education officials say the law is for students who need their medication carefully monitored.

"Sometimes these students lose instructional time, and hopefully this will keep students healthier, maintain their schedule better and stay in class," said Lynn Hammond, director of South Carolina Healthy Schools.

Previously, the decision on whether students could self-administer medication was handled by the individual district or school, Hammond said.

The law went into effect May 26, but it has not been implemented by school districts. The Education Department must send guidelines to districts for developing an Individual Health Plan. Hammond said the guidelines are in draft form.

Mescher worked to pass the legislation because his 15-year-old grandson suffers from allergies and asthma.