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Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen Policy

The University of Texas College of Pharmacy

Facilities operating under the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards pertaining to human resource management now require verification of competency of all individuals who have direct contact with patients or employees. This includes students participating in clinical rotations in the facility. Competency extends beyond technical skills to an individual's criminal history.

Effective January 1, 2006, professional pharmacy students will subject to a criminal background check at the beginning of the P1 (first professional year of the professional sequence of courses), and also during the spring semester of the P3 year (third year of the professional sequence of pharmacy courses). Students will be referred to a third party vendor to request the background check, and are responsible for any associated expenses and paperwork. The student must complete the background check prior to the deadline set by the College, or the student will not be able to enroll in practice courses. The College of Pharmacy will be notified by the vendor performing the background check that the student has participated in the check; however, the facility will verify details of the background check directly through the background check vendor or the student.

Background checks will be honored by all facilities for the duration of the pharmacy student's enrollment in the professional program if the participating student has not had a break in enrollment. A break in enrollment is defined as non-attendance of one long-term semester (Fall or Spring) or more. The above information is verifiable through the College.

Criminal Background Check

The criminal background check will review a person's criminal history seven (7) years prior to the date of application.  The check will include the cities and counties of all known residences.  The following criteria will be included:

• Social Security number validation
  
• Felony convictions    
  
• Misdemeanor convictions or felony adjudications involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
  
• Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, etc.)
  
• Felony deferred adjudications for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances, and involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse
  
• Registered sex offenders
  
• HHS/OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities
  
• GSA List of Parties Excluded from Federal ProgramsEmployee
  
• Misconduct Registry
  
• U.S. Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), List of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) search. Applicable State Exclusion list, if one.

NOTE:  If the Texas State Board of Pharmacy approves the student as licensable via the student pharmacist intern registration process (which infers that, upon completion of all requirements for licensure, the student is approved to take the licensing exam), the student may participate in clinical experiences within the facility.  Please refer to §283.4 of the Texas Pharmacy Board Rules, Texas Administrative Code for additional information via the website:

http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=22&pt=15&ch=283&rl=4  (Internship Requirements)

and

Texas Government Code, Subtitle B., Chapter 411.122 (background checks for pharmacists)

Drug Screens

The University of Texas College of Pharmacy will not require students to participate in a drug screen.  However, the College will inform students that they may be asked by the facility to submit and comply with a drug screen before participating in clinical experiences at certain facilities.  The College will inform the students in advance of their clinical experience if the facility will require a drug screen.  The student will be responsible for contacting an approved vendor, paying for expenses for the drug screen, and for insuring that results of the drug screen are forwarded directly to the facility.

 

 

In summary: Students will be required to participate in a criminal history check prior to the start of clinical experiences. Students will contact a participating third party vendor and have the check performed, at their expense, through that vendor. The University of Texas College of Pharmacy will certify that each student has participated in the background check. If practice facilities require detailed information regarding an individual student, the facility will contact the student or third party vendor directly and request the results. If the student is approved as a student pharmacist intern by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (which infers eligibility to sit for the licensure exam), the student will be allowed to participate in clinical experiences within the facility. The College of Pharmacy will not require students to participate in a drug screen. However, the College will inform students that this may be required by certain practice facilities for placement in that facility.

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22 August 2006
College of Pharmacy at UT Austin
Comments to: pharmacy@www.utexas.edu