The Drexel Student Health Center strives to assist students with the transition from parental guided health services to assuming responsibility for their own health and well being.

It is in the best interest of the student if you can send them to college with a comprehensive health history. We encourage students to download the registration form and complete their health history with your assistance, and to bring this to their first appointment at the Student Health Center.

Also, please be aware that once your student has graduated from high school and enrolled in an institution of higher education, they are considered an adult. HIPAA guidelines prevent us from discussing any care delivered to them with parents or any other person without their written consent, except in an emergency. Please do not call our office requesting such information, as it is illegal for us to give it to you and takes time away from providing care to students. Patient confidentiality is paramount to providing quality services.

Going off to college is a life changing experience for most people. Over the years we have gathered some suggestions to make this experience a positive one for your student. We hope you will agree and heed this advice as it applies to your student.

We look forward to meeting with and helping your student maintain their health and well-being while at Drexel and managing any illnesses that may arise. 

Equipping your Student for a Healthy College Experience

The most important thing that your student needs is information about:

• How their insurance works
  If they are covered by a HMO, health maintenance organization, they will need to get referrals from whomever is the PCP (primary care provider) listed on the card for things like x-rays and referrals to specialists. Many HMOs dictate where they have to go for x-rays, laboratory tests, etc. These are called capitated sites, and it is important for them to know this information as well, especially if they live within 50 miles of the University. All DSHC visits are billed to insurance. If your home is a long distance from Drexel University, you may want to have your student consider choosing the Drexel Student Health Center as their PCP or purchasing the Aetna Student Health Insurance.
• Their medical history
  The medical history should include past illnesses and surgeries, any significant family history, any medication(s) being taken (including over the counter preparations), any allergies to medication, foods and environment (and the type of reaction they had to the allergy) and contact names and phone numbers for any health care provider managing a chronic condition. Students will also need a copy of their immunization record. The copy you send to the school resides in another office, not at the Drexel Student Health Center.
• Current prescriptions for any long-term medications and how their prescription plan works
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) documentation
  If a student is taking medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), we are happy to continue the medication that is currently prescribed, but we require documentation of the formal diagnosis (the neuropsychological testing that was done) and documentation of the current dose of the prescription, and when it was last filled. Since these medications are highly desirable and readily diverted, we do not start new prescriptions or change dosages. Please advise your student to have a safe, secure place to store these medications because we are not able to replace lost or stolen controlled substances due to DEA guidelines. It is a felony offense to sell or give one's stimulants to another person. We will provide only a 30-day supply at a time and the student will need to be seen each month to obtain these prescriptions.

What to Bring

Here is a partial list of some items that we find helpful for students to have at their disposal to save them time and money when they develop health problems. Feel free to substitute other items that may work better for your student.

• Thermometer
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• Cough Drops
• Mucinex for cough
• Allegra, Claritin or Zyrtec for runny nose
• Benadryl for allergic reaction
• Antibiotic ointment for minor cuts
• Band-aids
• Ace bandages for minor sprains
• Instant ice pack
• Hydrocortisone cream for bug bites
• Tums or Maalox for heartburn or upset stomach

It is also helpful and will save them a lot of time if you give them some guidelines for managing some common health problems, such as:

• Common cold
• Viruses and fever
• Allergies, especially seasonal
• Joint sprains
• Common scrapes, cuts, bruises
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea