Other Information

Select your first language (the language of your birth). If you speak additional languages, click Add Another Language. Then, select the language(s) and the level of your proficiency in each.

Indicate whether you've ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony. Note that most programs require satisfactory background check results as a condition of acceptance. Failure to disclose and provide accurate information about prior convictions may have serious consequences, such as annulment of acceptance offers, program dismissal, or other sanctions.

Background checks reflect all prior convictions, guilty pleas, city ordinance citations (such as public intoxication), illegal possession(s) including possession of alcohol under the legal age, payments of fines (including traffic violations), and, in some cases, prior records thought to have been expunged. Note that in some states, common traffic violations may be considered misdemeanors.

Candidates with criminal records due to felony offenses are encouraged to be aware of the potential impact for program acceptance and future licensure. Contact the programs you wish to apply to and state licensing agencies where you hope to practice for advice if you have a felony conviction or a criminal record. If you are uncertain of the status of a charge versus a conviction on your record, or if you are uncertain as to whether your offense was an infraction, misdemeanor, or a felony, contact the city, county, or state jurisdiction where the incident occurred.

Pharmacy degree programs may require criminal background checks and/or drug tests in order to verify an individual’s suitability to participate in experiential education rotations, to confirm a student’s eligibility for pharmacy licensure, and to ensure patient safety. Contact your designated pharmacy degree programs directly for specific policies.

PharmCAS requires you to report any felony or misdemeanor convictions. You may also be required to report one or more of the following types of records directly to your designated pharmacy degree programs with details about the judgments or disciplines.

• Arrests for misdemeanors and felonies
• Adjudication withheld
• Nolo contendere
• Plea bargain

If you are convicted of a misdemeanor or felony prior to matriculation, it is your responsibility to immediately inform your program(s).

Contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to determine if a criminal conviction will prevent you from obtaining a license to practice pharmacy in a particular state:

NABP
1600 Feehanville Drive
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Tel: 847.391.4406
Fax: 847.391-4402
https://nabp.pharmacy/

The PharmCAS application limits its collection of applicant criminal history to information regarding felony and misdemeanor convictions. The application does not request information regarding arrests, criminal charges that were dismissed or were disposed of other than through conviction (for example, through pretrial diversion), or criminal matters that have been expunged or sealed. If a court expunged or sealed an applicant's criminal record or conviction, applicants are not required to report this particular information on the PharmCAS application, but should be aware of the following issues. Firstly, colleges and schools of pharmacy may choose to require applicants to report expunged or sealed records, as state laws permit, in the Program Materials (school-specific) section of the PharmCAS application or as part of a supplemental form sent directly to the institution. Secondly, expunged or sealed records may still appear in an applicant's criminal history, if the court records were not yet updated. Applicants who complete the PharmCAS Centralized Criminal Background Check through Certiphi Screening have ten (10) calendar days from the date the email was sent to review their report before it is released to participating programs. If an expunged or sealed record is erroneously reported, applicants must notify Certiphi and selected pharmacy schools about the issue and provide official court documentation to Certiphi that confirms the criminal record was expunged or sealed.

Laws regarding the ability to request and consider such information in connection with an application for higher education or in an application for professional licensing vary from state to state. In some jurisdictions, a pharmacy school or ultimately a state licensing board may be authorized to and may request and consider criminal history information beyond that collected through the PharmCAS application. Such information could also appear on certain criminal background checks. Applicants with any criminal history, including arrests or charges that were resolved other than via a conviction, are encouraged to independently determine whether those matters may appear in a criminal background check or may be considered by a pharmacy school or licensing board to which they intend to apply and whether they may present a barrier to acceptance or ultimate licensure.

Please note that PharmCAS does not provide legal advice regarding these matters.

Indicate whether you have ever had any certification, registration, license, or clinical privileges revoked, suspended, or in any way restricted by an institution, state, or locality. If yes, enter an explanation in the spaces provided.

Indicate whether you previously attended a health profession program anywhere in the world, regardless of completion. Pharmacy technician and pre-pharmacy programs do not qualify. If you select Yes, enter details about the program.

Note: you must also send official transcripts and enter this health profession program in the Colleges Attended section.

Programs fully recognize the importance of diversity in their student body and in the workforce. Accordingly, programs strongly encourage applications from persons from all socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, religious, and educational backgrounds and persons from groups underrepresented in the industry. Select any and all of the options in this section which you feel best apply to you. Please note that PharmCAS uses this section for statistical purposes only and it in no way affects your application or financial aid eligibility.

Describe any special life circumstances, including, but not limited to, your cultural background and overcoming adversity.

Indicate if you are currently enrolled or planning to enroll in any courses in Fall 2021 and/or Spring 2022. Note that this does not replace entering your planned/in-progress courses in the Transcript Entry section of the application; however, if you answer yes to either of the questions, ensure that the coursework is entered as planned/in-progress in that section.

Indicate whether you were ever the recipient of any action (e.g., a grade lowering penalty, failing grade, disqualification, suspension, probation, dismissal, etc.) for academic or professional misconduct (e.g., cheating, plagiarism, harassment, misuse of university facilities, stealing, destroying, or damaging university property, etc.) by any faculty member, college, university, PharmCAS, or health licensing board.

Indicate whether you were ever the recipient of any action (e.g., disqualification, suspension, probation, dismissal, etc.) for unacceptable academic performance and/or behavioral misconduct by any college or university.

If you answer yes, you will not automatically be disqualified from admission to a Pharm.D. program. Programs understand that many individuals learn from the past and emerge stronger as a result. Full disclosure will enable programs to evaluate this information more effectively within the context of your credentials. If you fail to provide accurate information when answering this question, you may jeopardize your application.

If you select Yes for either question, enter a brief explanation in the field provided. Include 1) a brief description of the incident, 2) specific charge made, 3) related dates, 4) consequence, and 5) a reflection on the incident and how the incident has impacted your life.

Use this section to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your pathway to becoming a pharmacist.

• Indicate if your school moved to offering only online curriculum during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Indicate if you had an opportunity to receive a letter grade for any of your courses taken during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to pharmacy school. The prompts listed in the application can help you get started, but you do not need to limit your responses to only these considerations.