School of Pharmacy Health Policy

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
Health Policies

Approved 2020.10.21
Revised 2026.1.15

Purpose

PharmD students work in healthcare settings where they may be exposed to communicable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, influenza, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis. These infections can pose serious health and legal risks.

Students who are exposed to a communicable disease must report it immediately to the Experiential Education Office at 608-265-0591.

This policy includes Health Requirements, Training Requirements and Background Checks. Costs incurred to meet these requirements are the responsibility of the students.

Health Requirements:

Hepatitis B
Influenza
Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
Tetanus diphtheria acellular pertussis (Tdap)
Tuberculosis (TB)
Varicella (chickenpox)
Health care recommendations (non-required)

Training Requirements:

Basic life support (BLS)
HIPAA
Safety and Infection Prevention

Background Checks:

Background Information Disclosure check

Deadlines and consequences for non-compliance with the health policies are listed at the end of this document.

Conditions Precluding Compliance with Health Policy Requirements

Students with health or other conditions that would preclude them from fulfilling the health policy requirements should contact the Experiential Education Office at 608-265-0591 to review their options. These will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Acceptable Documentation

Must be in English
Name must be visible on all documents
Must be submitted to the electronic health portal by deadline. Students are responsible for checking that submitted documents are approved and not pending or rejected.
Vaccine documentation must include student name, vaccine type, and date of administration.
Titer documentation must include student name, date of administration, value, and result (lab report).

Documentation for health requirements must be provided by one of the following:

Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) or other state immunization registry
Signed documentation on letterhead from a healthcare provider such as: registered nurse, physician, or physician’s assistant
MyChart immunization history

Documentation for training requirements must include the following:

Student name
Date of completion
Training year
Training type

Health Requirements

Hepatitis B:

Three total doses of hepatitis B vaccine administered at 0, 1, and 6 months.
– OR –
Two doses of hepatitis B vaccine depending on the manufacturer.

– AND IN ADDITION TO 1 OR 2, STUDENTS NEED: –

A hepatitis B antibody titer is required one to two months after the final dose of the hepatitis B vaccine series.
- Non-responders who have a negative or non-reactive antibody test must submit a signed hepatitis B liability waiver form, which is provided on the electronic health portal, before participating in pharmacy practice experiences.
- It is recommended that students continue with hepatitis B vaccination as recommended by their provider.

Please note: Students entering the PharmD program are required to provide evidence of at least two doses of the hepatitis B vaccine prior to the start of the PharmD program. A hepatitis B waiver is required only if two of the three doses have been received prior to the start of the program. Documentation of the final immunization in the series must be provided before January (first day of second semester).

Influenza

One dose of current seasonal influenza vaccine administered by October 20 of each year while enrolled in the program.

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR):

Two doses of MMR vaccine (given one month apart and after the first birthday).– OR –
Positive MMR titer. If MMR titer is negative, the student must receive the appropriate immunization(s).

Tetanus Diptheria Acellular Pertussis (TDAP):

One adult dose of tetanus diphtheria acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine given within the past 10 years. Thereafter, a student may receive a Td as a booster.

Tuberculosis (TB):

Incoming Students:

1. Two-Step TB skin test (two different TB skin tests given 1-3 weeks apart and between June 15-September 15 of the year starting PharmD classes). Documentation from both TB skin tests must be uploaded together in the electronic health portal.– OR –
2. QuantiFERON Gold TB blood test completed between June 15-September 15 of the year starting PharmD classes.

Positive TB skin test
Students who test positive for TB, must have a one-time chest x-ray and an annual TB Status Review Form completed by a health care provider and submitted to the electronic health portal by September 15 of the year starting PharmD classes.

Continuing Students:
One TB skin test is required annually by May 5 of each year while enrolled in the program.

- Students who allow their TB test to expire beyond their renewal date will be required to complete either a QuantiFERON Gold TB blood test or a Two-Step TB skin test

Positive TB skin test
Students who test positive for TB, must have a one-time chest X-ray and an annual TB Status Review Form completed by a health care provider and submitted to the electronic health portal by May 5 of each year while enrolled in the program.

Varicella (Chickenpox):

Two doses of varicella vaccine given after the first birthday.– OR –
Positive varicella titer. If varicella titer is negative, the student must receive the appropriate immunization(s).

Health Care Recommendations (Non-Required):

- Polio: Routine immunization against polio is recommended.
- Meningococcal disease: Meningococcal vaccine is recommended.
- Health Care Insurance: Students are strongly urged to have health care insurance while enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, either through a private insurance company or through the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Coverage under SHIP is mandatory for all international students and their dependents living in this country and is available on a voluntary basis for other students. For information on premiums, coverage, and enrollment, contact the University Health Services at 608-265-5232.
  Please note: some rotation sites require students to submit proof of health insurance.

Training Requirements

Basic Life Support (BLS)

All enrolled PharmD students must become American Heart Association (AHA) BLS certified by September 30 of their first and third years in the program. Students will be notified via email when BLS courses will be offered at the School of Pharmacy. Upon completion of the approved BLS course, students are required to upload their BLS eCard to the electronic health portal. Certification expires two years after the date the course is taken. The completion date or issue/renewal date is noted on the eCard. BLS certification must be renewed before your eCard expires.

Students who have not taken BLS courses in the past:
Students must enroll in a BLS certification course, either at the School of Pharmacy or at an outside AHA program provider and must include a hands-on skills session.

Students renewing BLS certification:
The AHA BLS Provider Online (Blended Learning) course consists of an online portion that is called HeartCode® BLS, followed by a hands-on skills session. The online BLS Course provides a review for health care professionals who have prior BLS training. Once you have completed the online portion of the course, you must complete the skills validation portion at the School of Pharmacy or an authorized AHA Training Center. After you have completed both sections of the course, you will be issued an AHA BLS Provider eCard.

BLS course recommendations

- https://cpr.heart.org/en/courses/basic-life-support-course-options
- https://www.aphed.com/

HIPAA Training

Students must complete HIPAA training by the deadlines set by the University of Wisconsin. HIPAA training links may be found on the experiential portal.

Safety and Infection Control Training:

Students must complete Safety and Infection Control Training upon admission to the school and annually by May 5. Safety and Infection Control training links may be found on the experiential portal.

Background Checks

Background Information Disclosure Check

Students must complete a Background Information Disclosure Check (BID) upon admission to the UW School of Pharmacy and in January of the DPH-3 year. In addition, students are required to notify the Experiential Education Office within 48 hours of a change in their BID status by contacting Amanda Watter at amanda.watter@wisc.edu or at 608-265-0591. A BID check must be done any time there is a change in a student’s BID status. BID documents for students with a positive BID check will be sent to the students’ pharmacy practice sites. Students with a positive BID check may be denied placement at a pharmacy practice site at the discretion of the pharmacy practice site.

Deadlines and Consequences for Non-Compliance with Policies

Incoming Students:

Incoming students must be fully compliant with policies listed below by August 1 (unless otherwise specified below) of the year starting PharmD classes until May 5 of the following year.

Students who are not in compliance will receive a half-letter grade deduction in their fall or spring course, as applicable. Students may not participate in any experiential activities until they are fully compliant with the health policies, which include Health Requirements, Training Requirements and Background Checks.

Health Requirements

- Hepatitis B
- Influenza – October 20
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Tetanus diphtheria acellular pertussis (Tdap)
- Tuberculosis (TB)- September 15
- Varicella (chickenpox)

Training Requirements

- Basic life support (BLS) – September 30
- HIPAA training- October 20 or deadline set by University of Wisconsin
- Safety and Infection Prevention training

Background Checks

- Background Information Disclosure check

Continuing Students:

Continuing students must be fully compliant with policies listed below annually by May 5 (unless otherwise specified below) for one year.

Students who are not in compliance will receive a half-letter grade deduction in their experiential course. Students may not participate in any experiential activities until they are fully compliant with the health policies, which include Health Requirements, Training Requirements and Background Checks.