Please note that select courses require that students complete experiential rotations at facilities external to the University, and such facilities will or may require as a condition of student participation any or all of the following site requirements:
- All students must obtain a Pennsylvania Pharmacy Intern license by December of P1 year
- Documentation of immunity to certain infectious diseases by documented history or vaccination including titers for certain agents (ex.: measles, rubella, hepatitis B)
- A negative two-step tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray if indicated
- A physical examination
- Criminal background check(s) and/or child abuse history clearance with disclosure to site of any convictions consistent with their criteria
- A urine drug screen with disclosure to site of any positive findings for drugs that are taken without medical supervision
- Provide evidence of and maintain personal medical insurance coverage at all times while at off-campus training sites
- Provide CPR, HIPAA and/or other clinical training certifications as required by site
- All students admitted to the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy are required to purchase and create an on-line certified background profile (CastleBranch, Inc.). All information listed above will be housed in this database. The students and the Office of Experiential Learning have access to this database. Instructions for setting up an account and uploading files will be provided at an in-person session during orientation to the Experiential Learning Program.
Should a student be denied access to, or be removed from, a field placement site for any reason, including, but not limited to, a positive drug screen or a positive criminal background check, the student will be obligated to disclose the reason for the denial/removal to the School of Pharmacy, and may be required by the School of Pharmacy to undergo a criminal background check and/or substance abuse evaluation as a condition of resuming the experiential learning portion of the professional program. Should a student fail a background check, clearance and/or drug screen, the School of Pharmacy cannot guarantee that it will be able to place the student at another entity for the requisite field education, thereby affecting the ability to graduate on schedule from the pharmacy program. Additionally, in order to become licensed as a pharmacist, many states will request information from the applicant or the applicant’s school or college of pharmacy as to whether the applicant has been convicted of a misdemeanor, a felony, or a felonious or illegal act associated with alcohol and/or substance abuse. Thus, should the School of Pharmacy become aware of failed background checks, clearances, or drug screens it may be required to provide such information to the applicable pharmacy licensing board and such information may affect future ability to be licensed as a pharmacist.
All costs associated with licensure, medical insurance, background checks and drug screenings are the responsibility of the student. Depending on the requirements of the affiliation agreement between the site and the University, other requested documentation may be coordinated by or required at the training site or facilitated by the University using campus-based programs or by an external agency. In all cases, the student is ultimately responsible for assuring the requirements have been satisfied.
For more information about required clearances and background checks, visit the PharmD Student Manual: Criminal background and Substance Use Policy.
For more information about immunization requirements, visit the PharmD Student Manual: Immunization Requirements