IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PHARMACY STUDENTS

OBJECTIVE: To identify current immunization requirements for pharmacy students throughout the US. DESIGN: Self-administered questionnaire. S ETTING: Seventy-five colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Immunization policies, immunologic requirements, tim ing of vaccination in relation to the beginning of clerkship experienc e, payment, mechanism to revise policies. DATA ANALYSIS: Descriptive s tatistics. RESULTS: Overall, 57 programs (81 percent) have an immuniza tion program in place, but 13 programs (19 percent) have no immunizati on program. More than 50 percent of the colleges or schools reported r equiring that pharmacy students have measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) vaccinations upon entry of clerkship. Only 25 colleges or schools of pharmacy (44 perce nt) required students to have the hepatitis B vaccine and 8 (14 percen t) to have a PPD evaluation upon completion of clerkship experience. R esponsibility for the immunization program was shared evenly between t he clerkship coordinator and the student health clinic. Approximately 65 percent of programs maintain an immunization record on file for eac h student. Completion of immunizations was required in 36 schools (64 percent) before entering clerkship activities, 15 (26 percent) before entrance to the professional program, and 3 (5 percent) in the first y ear of the program. Six schools (11 percent) had a program in place fo r less than one year, 27 (47 percent) between one and five years, and 24 (42 percent) for more than five years. At the majority of schools, students are responsible for the cost of immunization. CONCLUSIONS: Mo st schools of pharmacy do not adhere to the specific immunization reco mmendations described by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n for healthcare workers. Pharmacy schools need to reexamine their imm unization policies and update them to reflect the most current standar ds. We suggest a policy for immunization of pharmacy students.