Immunization requirements for pharmacy students.
OBJECTIVE
To identify current immunization requirements for pharmacy students throughout the US.


METHODS
Self-administered questionnaire.


METHODS
Seventy-five colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US.


METHODS
Immunization policies, immunologic requirements, timing of vaccination in relation to the beginning of clerkship experience, payment, mechanism to revise policies.


METHODS
Descriptive statistics.


RESULTS
Overall, 57 programs (81 percent) have an immunization program in place, but 13 programs (19 percent) have no immunization program. More than 50 percent of the colleges or schools reported requiring that pharmacy students have measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) vaccinations upon entry of clerkship. Only 25 college or schools of pharmacy (44 percent) required students to have the hepatitis B vaccine and 8 (14 percent) to have a PPD evaluation upon completion of clerkship experience. Responsibility for the immunization program was shared evenly between the clerkship coordinator and the student health clinic. Approximately 65 percent of programs maintain an immunization record on file for each 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 year of the program. Six schools (11 percent) had a program in place for 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
Most schools of pharmacy do not adhere to the specific immunization recommendations described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for healthcare workers. Pharmacy schools need to reexamine their immunization policies and update them to reflect the most current standards. We suggest a policy for immunization of pharmacy students.
Department of Pharmacy, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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Bucci
D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000191:economics; D017589:Immunization Programs; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy / Q000458:organization & administration; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination