The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHCO) now requires background checks for all students completing clinical educational experiences. Many community pharmacies also require background checks on employees working in the pharmacy department. Prior to the assignment of Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy practice experiences, students must satisfactorily pass three criminal background checks and drug screens (one prior to the introductory pharmacy practice experience, a second prior to the intermediate pharmacy practice experience, and a third prior to the advanced pharmacy practice experiences). The university has contracted with an outside vendor to facilitate this process. This background check is strictly for purposes of the Introductory/Intermediate/Advanced Practice Experiences and does NOT replace the background check required for the New Jersey state licensure exam.

Criminal background checks and urine drug screens will be required during the spring semester of the first, second, and third professional years. Additional checks or screens may be required for some practice sites.

Students suspended or taking a leave of absence from the program may be required to complete a new criminal background check and/or urine drug screen prior to returning at the discretion of the dean or his or her designee.

Accepted students are required to notify the dean of academic services at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of any convictions, guilty pleas, or no contest pleas to any crime, misdemeanor, or other offense prior to their matriculation. Moreover, all matriculating students are required to notify the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in the event they are arrested, detained, charged, or investigated by law enforcement authorities within five days of the event or incident that gave rise to any of these actions.

B. Positive Result

If a urine drug screen is positive for a tested substance the procedure described in the student handbook will be followed.

First, once the background check is received by the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, the student will be required to provide a complete written explanation including time, date, and specific details surrounding the arrest. Students are encouraged to provide any additional documentation such as police reports or other court documents, which may help in providing an explanation to potential rotation sites.

The Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy reserves the right to pursue judicial action under the University Code of Student Conduct, if appropriate. Results of such action (e.g., suspension, expulsion) may prevent a student from completing the program on time or at all.

If judicial action is deemed necessary/appropriate, the student's rotation assignment through the rotation selection process may be delayed. If no university judicial action is deemed necessary, after rotation assignments have been made, each preceptor for a student with a hit on his or her criminal background check (CBC) will be notified of the CBC results and given the opportunity to accept or decline the student. Sites or preceptors requesting more information will be provided the written explanation of the student along with any documentation provided to the school.

If a site declines the student, an alternative rotation site with open availability for the same cycle will be identified and given the opportunity to accept or decline the student based on CBC results. Three attempts per rejected rotation will be made to find alternative sites.

In the event that the above circumstances (e.g., no sites agree to accept the student or judicial action results in expulsion) prevent a student from completing the doctor of pharmacy degree, the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy will work with the student to help him or her transfer to another unit of the university and pursue a degree in another major. However, decisions regarding accepting transfer students are made by the "receiving" unit and acceptance cannot be guaranteed.

For further information and the full policy, including criminal activity during professional experiences and the policy on substance abuse, please see the current Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Student Handbook at: https://pharmacy.rutgers.edu/info-for/current-students.