The Health Services Office (HSO), through the University Student Government, announced the reinstatement of the mandatory periodic health exam (PHEx) and drug testing as an enrollment prerequisite for Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024 last May 10, after it was waived from 2020 to 2022 due to the pandemic.
New testing schedules for PHEx are available from July 19 to August 9, and drug exam from July 17 to 22, and 24 to 29.
The health examination began last May 22 until July 18 at the Waldo Perfecto Seminar Room for men and the main clinic for women, both on the ground floor of Br. Connon Hall. The drug testing, meanwhile, started from May 29 to July 15 on the sixth floor of Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall. Both examinations will be done from Monday to Saturday, beginning at 8 am.
An appointment through My.LaSalle must be done ahead of the assessments. Students are advised to book their schedule as reflected in their respective My.LaSalle portals as the examination, particularly the drug test, will only accommodate 400 students per day. Separate appointments must be booked for each examination.
Prior to the conduct of PHEx, students must fill out HSO’s medical and dental forms and must register no later than ten minutes before their appointment schedule. The student would then be subject to medical history-taking, head-to-foot physical examination, dental examination, and chest x-ray. Should a medical condition be identified during the examination, the student would be informed via their email accounts and asked to submit a medical clearance within one week after the PHEx. If the findings indicate mild conditions, the student may approach the University clinic for immediate treatment.
For the drug testing portion, students must submit a hard copy of the SDFO Drug Test Consent Form on or before its extended deadline on June 13, then claim its corresponding Acknowledgement Slip at the testing area. The slip would be needed when the test is taken on their chosen schedule. The student will be asked to submit a urine sample that will be tested for methamphetamine HCl (shabu), tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana), and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy).
Overall results will be available at the Enrique Razon sports clinic from August 29 to September 29. If unclaimed within that schedule, the findings must be claimed at the drug testing provider’s office.
Should a student test positive for illegal substances, a confirmatory test subject to evaluation will be conducted. If the sample tests positive again, the student and their parents or guardians would be invited by the Dean of Student Affairs to discuss appropriate intervention plans.
As stipulated in the guidelines of the Lasallians Fight Against Drugs (LFAD) drug testing program, a positive result “shall not be a ground for any disciplinary action against the student and should not be reflected in any of his/her academic records.” The results of the test are also prohibited to be used to incriminate the student in any form of legal action.
Students may take the required health examinations in another accredited medical facility, while those who have taken similar examinations on or after May 1 may opt to forgo the HSO exam. Both are required to submit the results of the tests to HSO on or before July 22, 2023.
Once the results are validated, the medical clearance requirement for enrollment will be marked as done on My.LaSalle accounts.
The PHEx and drug tests are required procedures under Sections 1.20.1 and 1.20.3 of the Student Handbook. The examinations are performed by the HSO and a DOH-accredited diagnostic laboratory. Fees of P250 and P450 were included in the fees for Term 2 AY 2022-2023 to fund PHEx and the drug test, respectively.
The LFAD drug testing program was first implemented in Academic Year 2015-2016. In 2018, the Commission on Higher Education issued a memorandum requiring the implementation of a mandatory drug test in higher education institutions in accordance with the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
The Department of Health has a hotline to aid people with drugs and substance abuse concerns. The hotline may be reached at 1550. OCCS may also be reached for assistance via [email protected]; 0928 454 6489 or 0905 221 6924 (Undergraduate); 0961 096 5358 (Graduate); and at Room 203, Br. Connon Hall.
EDITOR’S NOTE: July 17, 2023
The article was updated on the second paragraph for additional testing dates.
