Matriculation and Continued Enrollment Policies
Matriculation and Continued Enrollment Policies for the College of Pharmacy Experiential Program
The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy Experiential Program – Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE and APPE) are defined as a structured, college-directed teaching and learning experience whereby the student applies the knowledge of pharmacy to patient care in a practice setting that allows the student to develop and demonstrate the skills required for professional practice. According to contractual arrangements with various healthcare facilities, a student must meet the below specified requirements before he or she is permitted to participate in the experiential program. Students who fail to comply with these requirements will not be allowed to participate in pharmacy practice experiences, which may impact or delay the student’s graduation.
1. Immunizations - Students are required to have appropriate immunizations before they matriculate into the PharmD program. The current list includes:
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) and titers
• Hepatitis B (series I, II, III) and titer
• Diphtheria/Tetanus
• Polio
• Tuberculosis (two-step or QuantiFERON-TB Gold) – Annual (due by 10th day of class)
• Any student who has a positive PPD must provide copy of a recent chest x-ray.
• Varicella and titer
2. CPR Training - All students are required to complete training and become certified in adult and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation/basic life support (CPR/BLS) for the healthcare professional prior to the beginning of advanced practice rotations.
3. Health insurance is a requirement of all students participating on experiential rotations. The insurance must cover inpatient and outpatient services for injuries sustained or diseases contracted while on rotations. Proof of this coverage must be provided to the Office of Experiential Training prior to the beginning of advanced practice rotations.
4. Drug Screening - Rotation sites may request drug screens. Information obtained in drug screens may inhibit students from completing introductory or advanced practice experiences thus delaying or hindering graduation. Drug screens will be required throughout the UIC College of Pharmacy educational experience. Scheduled drug screens are required once per year during P1 through P3 years (due by 10th day of class) and twice in the P4 year (due dates as per the Director of Experiential Education).
5. Background checks - The College is required to provide information from background checks, drug screenings and/or social security, driver’s license and employment verification on each student who participates in clinical rotations at our affiliate’s institutions. The College uses the Illinois Health Care Workers Background Check Code “disqualifying offenses” to disqualify an individual from being considered to participate in any clinical rotation at these facilities. See Illinois code Section 955.160 Disqualifying Offenses.
Student will have a background check run at the beginning of each fall semester P1 through P3 years (due by 10th day of class). P4 students will have two background checks run (due dates as per the Director of Experiential Education). Any disqualification of a student by a practice facility could prevent the student from undertaking clinical rotations that are required to complete the pharmacy program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
6. Pharmacy Technician License - Students must be able to meet the State Board of Pharmacy Licensing requirements to obtain a valid Illinois Pharmacy Technician License, which is required to complete experiential courses. Inability to obtain and maintain a valid license may prevent a student from continuing in the program and completing the requirements for graduation.
7. HIPAA - Students must be in compliance with HIPAA requirements.
8. Transportation - All students must provide their own transportation to off-campus pharmacy practice experience sites.
9. Technical Standards - The educational objective of the entry-level PharmD degree program in the UIC College of Pharmacy is to prepare students for the practice of pharmacy. Students admitted to the UIC College of Pharmacy must have the intellectual, emotional and physical abilities, with reasonable accommodations as needed for those with disabilities, to acquire the knowledge, behaviors, clinical and technical skills that they will need to successfully complete the curriculum in order to pursue any pathway of pharmacy practice. The ability, with reasonable accommodations as needed for those with disabilities, to meet the technical standards essential for the fulfillment of the requirements for the PharmD degree and the educational objectives established by the faculty are evaluated in all candidates for admission and graduation.
The technical standards, in conjunction with established academic standards, are followed by the Admissions Committee to select students who possess the intelligence, integrity, physical, and personal as well as emotional characteristics that are necessary to become an effective pharmacist.
The academic and technical standards established by the faculty require that all students accepted by the UIC College of Pharmacy possess the physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities that ensure that they will be able to complete all aspects of the curriculum.
All applicants are held to the same academic and technical standards of admission and training, with reasonable accommodations as needed for students with disabilities.
Although the UIC College of Pharmacy will engage in an interactive process with applicants with disabilities, the UIC College of Pharmacy reserves the right not to admit any applicant who, upon completion of the interactive process, cannot meet the Technical Standards set forth below, with reasonable accommodations.
Additional, those individuals who would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of others are not considered suitable candidates for admission.