Students applying to the College of Pharmacy may be required to undergo a background check as a part of the application process. All students enrolling in the professional program will undergo criminal background checks as a part of obtaining their Louisiana State Board of Pharmacy Intern License. Any previous activity that would preclude the issuance or continuance of an intern activity will result in suspension or dismissal from the program.

All students are required to be certified in life safety education and training PRIOR TO entering their practice experiences. You must complete one of these, and then maintain a current certification:

Basic Cardiac Life Support for Healthcare Provider, from the American Heart Association (AHA)

CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer, from the American Red Cross (ARC)

CPR Pro for the Professional Rescuer, from the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI)

ProCPR, from ProTrainings, LLC

CPR-Pro, from Emergency University

BLS for Healthcare Providers, from EMS Safety Services, Inc.

All graduating students are required to participate in College and University commencement exercises unless excused by the Dean of the College of Pharmacy. Students wishing to be excused from commencement must write a letter to the Dean of the College of Pharmacy requesting that they be excused.

Electronic mail is an official means of communicating with and disseminating information to students and a primary method of communication with the students. Often, this information is important and time-sensitive; the expectations of the College are as follows:

•Each pharmacy student must maintain a ULM student e-mail account. All e-mail from the College to students will be sent directly to ULM addresses. Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Student and Professional Affairs of their ULM e-mail address. If a student forwards his/her e-mail to a non-ULM student email account, he/she is still responsible for all e-mail delivered to the ULM student e-mail account.

•All pharmacy students should check their e-mail frequently (at least twice a day, morning and evening, Monday through Friday).

•Electronic mail boxes should be cleaned on a regular basis. Electronic mail bounced back because of a full mailbox will be considered delivered.

•Emails from students to faculty or staff should bear a subject line pertaining to the body of the email, and a signature line at the end of the message giving the student’s full name, student number and return ULM e-mail address.

•Electronic communications may be required as a part of courses and practice experiences.

In short, the lack of access to electronic communications is not a valid excuse for failure to respond to a request, perform an assignment, or meet a deadline.

Student Dress Code Policy

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 

Students must maintain a health insurance policy during enrollment in the College of Pharmacy and must provide proof of current insurance coverage at orientation and prior to each semester. Coverage as part of a parent’s or spouse’s plan meets this requirement.

In addition to the general Immunization Compliance required of all students by Louisiana R.S. 17.170, students admitted to the professional program of the College of Pharmacy must meet immunization requirements established by the College. Students accepting admission to the College of Pharmacy will be provided a set of immunization requirements and a deadline to meet the requirements. Students failing to meet immunization deadlines will have their offer of admission rescinded.  Students are also required to comply with practice site requirements related to immunizations.

Students accepting admission to the College of Pharmacy are required to have the following prior to the first day of class of the fall semester, with the exception of influenza (due by the end of October), and TB skin testing (April).

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccinations – All students must provide documentation of receiving the two (2) vaccination series.

Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis – Tdap is required for all incoming students. If it has been ³ 10 years since Tdap has been administered, then Td booster is required.

Hepatitis B Series – All students must provide documentation of receiving the three (3) vaccination series AND positive Hepatitis B surface antibody titer.

Varicella titer – All students are required to provide proof of vaccination (2-dose series) OR disease documentation by a physician OR serologic evidence of immunity.

Influenza vaccine – All students must receive yearly influenza seasonal vaccine by the last day of October. Influenza vaccines are available in the fall of each year.

Tuberculosis testing (TB) – Pharmacy students should be tested for tuberculosis following CDC guidelines.

For baseline or initial testing, a two-step testing method with the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TBST) is required. See below for two-step procedure.

Annual Follow-up – After baseline testing is done the first year, annual testing with Mantoux is required annually thereafter. 

Two-step testing involves having a skin test administered and read within 48-72 hours of administration. A positive result is considered to be TB infected, and further evaluation is needed. If initial test is negative, a second test is required between one to three (1-3) weeks after initial testing, and read between 48 and 72 hours. A positive result is considered to be TB infected, and further evaluation is needed. However, if the second test is negative, no further testing is needed until annual follow-up.

Proof of compliance with therapy is mandatory for anyone being treated for TB infection.

Covid-19 vaccine - All students must provide documentation of receiving the Covid-19 vaccination series.

The University maintains medical malpractice liability insurance administered through the State of Louisiana Office of Risk Management for itself, its agents, officers, employees and students. This coverage is provided subject to R.S. 40:1237.1 ET SEQ. http://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=964881

At various times during the academic year, faculty or the College administration may need to meet with the student body in individual groups or as a whole. Each semester, a period of time is set aside each week to hold these meetings. When such meetings are announced, all students involved are expected to attend.

In addition, the College of Pharmacy will hold required student convocations during the semester. Student convocation dates are set at the beginning of the semester, and all students are required to attend and participate in each convocation, unless excused by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Office of Student and Professional Affairs. Students failing to attend convocation face disciplinary action through the Committee on Ethical and Professional Conduct. Frequent student continuing professional development programs will be offered by the College of Pharmacy or the professional organizations within the College. Students may be required to attend any or all of these programs, and attendance may be tied to credit in a class if it is stated in the class syllabus.

The following is a list of MANDATORY meetings/events that students are required to attend. Other meetings or events may be scheduled throughout a semester that require attendance:

• • COP Convocation each semester
  • Fall Pharm.D. Career Fair
  • Co-Curricular meetings
  • IPE events
  • APPE/IPPE meetings
  • COP Senior Days (graduating students)
  • COP Senior Awards Ceremony (graduating students)
  • ULM Commencement (graduating students)

Students admitted to the professional program must apply for an active pharmacy intern permit during the first semester following enrollment into the professional program and maintain the intern permit continually throughout enrollment in the professional program. Students found to be in violation of the regulations of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy may be required to resign their enrollment.

In the interest of public health and safety, all students enrolling the professional program of the College of Pharmacy are subject to random drug screening. Such tests are conducted by independent laboratories and test results are reported directly to the College of Pharmacy. Results of random drug screenings will also be reported to Louisiana State Board of Pharmacy.

School of Pharmacy classrooms are located approximately 1 & 1/2 miles away from the main campus. Students are expected to provide their own transportation to and from classes. Additionally, Introductory and Advanced Practice Experiences may be assigned anywhere in Louisiana or the surrounding region. Students are expected to provide for their own housing and transportation during the practice experiences.