Five West Limestone High School students accused of bringing prescription drugs to school or of sharing them with other students were told Monday night they must attend alternative school.

Hearings before the Limestone County Board of Education for three other students allegedly involved in the Dec. 10 incident will be scheduled after the holidays. A sixth hearing was held Monday night for a student involved in a disciplinary incident not related to the drug case.

Three of the five students also face criminal charges.

A 15-year-old girl was charged with distribution of a controlled substance; another 15-year-old girl was charged with reckless endangerment and a 17-year-old boy was charged with reckless endangerment, said Limestone County Chief Investigator Stanley McNatt.

The names of the students were not released because they are juveniles.

Students were accused of bringing to school or sharing four Ambien sleeping pills and one Vicoprofen, a combination of the narcotic hydrocodone and the anti-inflammatory ibuprofen, McNatt said.

They also allegedly were sharing the over-the-counter tablets Coricidin Cough and Cold, which includes dextromethorphan and chlorpheniramine maleate, McNatt said. The combination of ingredients causes a “high” when not taken as directed, which has led to increased abuse by teens. According to a number of Web sites, Coricidin abuse has been linked to teen deaths. Taking doses higher than recommended can cause seizures, heart problems and vomiting.

School system officials reported no students overdosed on the prescription drugs or drug combinations. McNatt said Capt. Fred Sloss reported that two students who ingested the pills were taken to Athens-Limestone Hospital’s Emergency Room the day of the incident, but he does not know how serious their conditions were. The school board has a zero-tolerance policy on bringing drugs to school.