Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE)

The Doctor of Pharmacy student will complete 320 hours of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences prior to their fourth year of pharmacy school.

Two Components of IPPE:

• IPPE Introductory Community Pharmacy
  A structured pharmacy practice experience for post P1 students in a community setting for four weeks in the summer after their P1 year.
• IPPE Institutional Pharmacy
  A structured pharmacy practice experience for post P2 students in a health-systems/institutional pharmacy setting in the summer after their P2 year.

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE)

The Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences consist of seven 6-week pharmacy practice experiences during the fourth year of pharmacy school. Doctor of Pharmacy students in APPEs participate under the supervision of registered pharmacist preceptors in a range of interdisciplinary patient care activities in a variety of settings from ambulatory, community and institutional facilities.

Components of APPE: 4 Required APPEs and 3 Electives.

Required APPEs

• Advanced Community Pharmacy
• Advanced Hospital Pharmacy
• Ambulatory Care - Disease State Management
• Internal Medicine

Immunizations

Pharmacy students are enrolled in health-related courses that involve patient contact; therefore, they must comply with the immunization requirements outlined in Title 25, Health Services, Chapter 97, Section 97.61-97.72 of the Texas Administrative Code and must be current as part of their admission requirements and continued enrollment.  Specifically, the following immunizations are required:

• Tetanus/diphtheria within the past 10 years
• Rubeola (common measles)
• Rubella (German measles)
• Mumps
• Varicella (chicken pox)

Although not required of pharmacy students by Title 25, the college requires the following immunizations: Hepatitis B; a negative TB skin test or chest x-ray; and influenza. The negative TB test and influenza immunization are required annually. Additionally, sites can require additional immunizations such as COVID-19 vaccines in order for the students to complete their rotations at the site.

Health Insurance

All students admitted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program are required to carry and maintain health insurance coverage while enrolled in the program. UH College of Pharmacy does not endorse any specific carrier and students can either purchase health insurance through the University of Houston or provide proof of comparable insurance through an outside provider. 

Students must maintain health insurance coverage by a policy that meets or exceeds the coverage provided by the student health insurance offered through the University of Houston. 

For more information about the student health insurance plan endorsed by and designed especially for the University of Houston, please go to www.uh.edu/healthcenter/insurance. 

Students must submit a copy of the front and back of their insurance card to the UH College of Pharmacy Student Services Office prior to the first day of each fall semester. Students who do not submit proof of health insurance coverage by the deadline will not be allowed to register and/or attend classes and ultimately may be prevented from undertaking IPPEs and/or APPEs that are required for completion of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Testing

All students admitted into the University of Houston College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program are required to participate in pharmacy practice experiences before graduation.  Many hospitals and other health care organizations operating under the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations are requiring criminal background checks and/or drug screenings for all individuals who have direct contact with patients, including pharmacy students placed in early/introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) and/or advanced clinical pharmacy practice experience (APPE) assignments at these sites.

Currently enrolled students in the College of Pharmacy professional program must annually (and at other times as requested in writing by a hospital or health care organization) satisfactorily complete (submit to and pay for) a criminal background check and/or drug screening from an approved vendor prior to participating in IPPE and/or APPE assignments at these sites.

Students will be personally responsible for obtaining background checks and drug screenings (including costs). Results of the background check(s) may be submitted directly to the hospital/heath care facility or to the College by the vendor. Upon receipt of criminal history information by the College, the College will pass on the results to the requesting hospitals or health care organizations.

The hospital or health care organization will be responsible for determining whether an enrolled student is eligible to participate in the clinical practice experience assignment at the site, and will notify the student and the College of its decision. Students with disqualifying criminal conviction(s) and/or drug screening results as determined by a hospital/health care organization may be prevented from undertaking IPPEs and/or APPEs that are required to complete the pharmacy program at the University of Houston.