Information for Parents

It is in the best interest of the student if you can send them to college with a comprehensive health history.

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 Student Health Center 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 Drexel-Sponsored 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. Please see our Services page for more information.

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