In This Section:

• Overview

• Allergy/ Immunization/ Travel

• Lab

• Medical Records

• Pharmacy

• Psychiatry

• Radiology

UCSC Health Center
1156 High Street
University of California
Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077
Phone: (831) 459-2211
Email: healthcenter@ucsc.edu

To Schedule An Appointment
By Phone: (831) 459-2500

Medical Services: Pharmacy

• Fill new and refill prescriptions from any clinician in USA
• Fill contraceptive prescriptions (pill, patch, ring, injection, diaphragm)*
• Provide Over-the-Counter medications (OTC’s)
• Provide drug information
• Can do special orders
• Sell safe-sex supplies for the Condom Co-op
• Provide Emergency Contraception (EC) and counseling*
• Transfer prescriptions and refills to and from our pharmacy*
• Provide automatic electronic courtesy claim submission to campus insurance provider*

Fees:

• Most medications are charged for at the regular community pharmacy prices with some items discounted
• Pharmacy charges will be billed automatically to the student billing account or may be paid on the day of service at the Student Health Center front reception desk
• The pharmacy is not a provider for any insurance carrier.  We do not accept any pharmacy insurance cards.
• The pharmacy does provide automatic electronic courtesy claim submission to the campus insurance provider.  The full pharmacy fee will be applied to the patient’s student billing account.   This full bill must be paid to UCSC by the student.  The insurance carrier will reimburse the student directly with a check, sent to the address in the insurance database. The check will be for all but the pharmacy co-pays per month, once the deductible has been met. 
• An itemized bill will be given to patients to bill their private insurance carriers
• MEDI-Cal is not accepted at the Student Health Center

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)

Transferring Prescriptions

Q - How can I transfer my prescription/s to the UCSC Student Health Center Pharmacy?
A - The pharmacists can transfer any remaining refills on your prescription from your previous pharmacy to UCSC Student Health Center Pharmacy.  You need to:

• contact our pharmacy
• give us your name, phone number and date of birth
• give us your prior pharmacy’s name and phone number
• give us the name/s of the medications and your prescription number (if possible)

NOTE: it is advisable to transfer all the medications at once if you have more than one prescription to transfer

Q - How can I transfer my prescription/s from the UCSC Student Health Center Pharmacy to another pharmacy?
A - The pharmacists can transfer any remaining refills on your prescription from our pharmacy to the pharmacy of your choice.  You need to:

• contact your pharmacy and have them call us
• we will transfer all of your remaining refills to that pharmacy

Q – What if I don’t have any refills left?
A - We can contact your clinician for a new prescription.  You need to:

1) Contact our pharmacy

2) Give your name, phone number and date of birth

3) Give us your clinicians name, phone and fax numbers (if possible, but we need at least one of the numbers)

4) Give us the name/s of the medication requested and any other instructions

Emergency Contraception (EC)

For All Students

Q – What are the directions for taking “Plan B”?
A – The patient can take both tablets together right away or can take one tablet now and one 12 hours later.

Q – Are there any side effects after taking “Plan B”?
A – Side effects are minimal with “Plan B”.  Some patients may experience mild nausea and some people get temporary breast tenderness until their next menstrual cycle.  - Also, “Plan B” will often change the timing for menstruation.

Q – How effective is “Plan B”?
A – “Plan B” is effective approximately 90% of the time when used within 72 hours.  It is not 100% effective.  It is more effective the sooner it is used.  Contraception must be used consistently at all times to prevent pregnancy.  If you use “Plan B”, and if you do not begin menstruation within 3 weeks, then you need to perform a pregnancy test.

Q – What about payment for “Plan B”?
A - Fees can be put on your student bill – NOTE: the UCSC billing statement only states “Pharmacy - $24.00”, the current price for “Plan B”.  Additionally, patients under age 18 without campus insurance (UHIP or GSHIP) or CruzCare will be charged a $10 visit fee.

-Fees can also be paid by cash or check on that day, at the front desk, prior to 4:30pm.

For Students Over the Age of 17

Q – Who can get EC at UCSC Pharmacy (and many local pharmacies)?
A – Emergency contraception, Plan B, is now available without a prescription for individuals 18 years old and older.

Q – Are there any requirements?
A – Plan B is kept behind the counter in the pharmacy.  It is required that the student show identification.

Q – Can anyone buy it?
A – Yes, as long as the person is 18 years old or older – but it does not have to be the patient and it can be sold to women and men.

Q – Are there any restrictions on getting it often or getting more than one at a time.
A – There are no other restrictions.  Students can get more than one at a time and can get it as often as s/he likes.

For Students 17 or Under

Q – Can a student get emergency contraception just by meeting with the Pharmacist?
A – It is available to the patient only – the female student in need (not a friend or boyfriend).

Q – What is the process for getting EC?
A - The patient fills out our form and is interviewed by the pharmacist and if all of the protocol requirements are met, then the pharmacist can write and fill the prescription.

Q – What are the requirements to get EC at the UCSC Student Health Center Pharmacy?
A - The requirements in our protocol are that the timing must be within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse, that the patient has had a regular cycle without problems or without  prior unprotected intercourse since last menstruation and that’s it!

Q – What if I don’t meet the requirements?
A – You may still come to the Student Health Center, Urgent Care and see a nurse or another clinician.   Clinicians may prescribe Emergency Contraception up to 5 days after vaginal sexual intercourse, but the effectiveness after 72 hours is known to be reduced.

Q – What medication is prescribed?
A – The medication prescribed is “Plan B”.  “Plan B” is a progesterone only product and therefore unlikely to cause many side effects.

Contraceptives

Q – How can I get contraceptives at UCSC?
A – Non-prescription contraceptives (condoms and other safer sex supplies) are available at the Condom Co-op and the Student Health Center Pharmacy on campus.
-Other contraceptives including pills, patch, ring, injection, diaphragm, cervical cap, etc. require a prescription.  You may make an appointment for an annual exam with a clinician at the UCSC Student Health Center or you may bring in or transfer a prescription from elsewhere. (see posted information regarding transferring your prescription)

Q – I am already taking birth control pills, but I am experiencing side effects.  What should I do?

A – First establish whether you may have a rare but serious effect from pills, and if so, medical care should be sought immediately for the following:

NOTE IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE “ACHES”
“A”- abdominal pain:	unusually severe of persistent pain under the lower right ribs that could indicate liver or gall bladder problems.
“C” – chest pain:	sudden shortness of breath and sharp, localized chest pain which is unrelated to other causes.
“H” – headaches:	increased number of migraine headaches or a severe headache with dizziness, visual changes, weakness or a change in your mental state, such as confusion.
“E” – eye problems:	sudden visual loss or blurring
“S” – severe leg pain:	tenderness, pain, redness in one calf or thigh that is unrelated to injury or overuse.

 

– If you have just begun taking birth control pills, and do not have serious side effects, continue to take them for approximately 3 months, since it takes your body time to get used to the new hormones.  If, after that time, you are still unhappy with the prescription, make an appointment with a clinician.
-NOTE: Minor side effects include nausea, bleeding between periods, no period, breast tenderness, emotional changes, and complexion changes.  Minor side effects usually resolve with time.  Some of these can be lessened by making small changes.  Contact the pharmacist or read your handouts for suggestions.

Q – I forgot to take my pill/s.  What should I do?
A – Usually if you miss one pill, it is okay.  Just take the pill as soon as you remember it or take two together.  If you have taken two together before and it caused you some nausea, you can separate the two pills by 6-12 hours.
-If you have missed two pills, take them as soon as possible, separating the doses if necessary, and use a back-up method (usually condoms), for every act of intercourse, for a one week period.
-If you have missed three or more pills, your cycle and your contraception will be affected.  There are a couple of ways to handle this.  1) stop the pills, use a back up method for every act of intercourse, restart pills on the 1st day of your new period. 2) continue the pills, but use a back up method for every act of intercourse, perfectly, for 7 days.  You may experience spotting or even a full period, but eventually your cycle will match your pills.

Q – I’ve run out of packs of pills and I have no refills left.  What should I do?
A – Note: If you received your prescription from our pharmacy
-If it is time for your annual, make another appointment with your clinician or a clinician at the UCSC Student Health Center.  Then come to the pharmacy and the pharmacist will dispense one emergency pack for pills prescribed by one of our clinicians, to take you through to your appointment.
-If you just started your contraception 3-6 months ago, and you are happy with them, you may only need to see the nurse.  The first time you are prescribed contraception, there is a double check by a nurse to determine whether everything is going as planned.  You can come to the Urgent Care Clinic, see the nurse and if the interview goes well, the nurse will contact the pharmacy and prescribe the rest of the year for you, then it will be time for another annual exam.

*If you had a prescription from an outside clinician, the pharmacist can contact that office and request additional refills.  However, you need to follow your clinician’s instructions for follow up appointments.  You can bring your pack of pills and come to the Urgent Care Clinic and speak to a nurse about having someone prescribe one pack.

Q – I’m very confused.  What should I do?
A – You can call the pharmacy or the advice nurse to help you clarify any issues.  You my also make an appointment with a clinician.  Pharmacy Phone 459-2360, Appointment Phone 459-2500.

Picking Up Prescriptions

Q – When can I pick up my prescription?
A – You may call in a request for your prescription and it will be filled and ready for you on the day you state that you are coming.  We do not fill your prescription until you contact us with the date to be filled or you arrive at the pharmacy window.

Q – Can I have someone else pick up my prescription?
A - For privacy reasons, we can only dispense medication to the intended patient.  However, if you give express permission to someone else, usually in writing (send a note with them) or by contacting us by phone, then that designated person can pick up your prescription.

Refilling Prescriptions

Q – How do I refill my prescription?
A – You may call in advance to 459-1546, and your prescription will be ready on your arrival or you can just come to the pharmacy window and we will help you then.