E-mail Policy

When using your UCSF e-mail account, you have these responsibilities:

Check Frequently
Because we use your UCSF e-mail account as an official means of communicating with you, we require that you maintain the account and check your e-mail at least twice a week. If you don't check frequently, your account may be deactivated.

No Sharing
Don't share your e-mail account or password with others. Don't share other people's e-mail addresses without permission. Don't share our LISTSERV e-mail addresses with people who are not affiliated with the School of Pharmacy. (If you're not sure if someone is affiliated, check the properties of his or her address book entry in the Exchange global address list or contact our office.)

No Prohibited Activities
Don't use your e-mail account for unlawful activities, commercial purposes, personal financial gain, chain letters, spam (unsolicited marketing), or letter bombs (e-mails with large attachments intended to disrupt e-mail services).

Always Send Private Information Securely
To avoid penalties of up to US$250,000 and 10 years of imprisonment:

Be mindful when using e-mail to send patient information or any other private information.

Standard e-mail is not secure: It's not common knowledge, but when you send and receive e-mail it's typically done in an insecure manner. Although unlikely, it's technically possible for your message to be intercepted -- and read -- by others while it is in transit. Think of standard e-mail as being more like a postcard rather than a sealed letter. Details: E-mail Privacy.

UCSF e-mail can be secure if...: Your UCSF e-mail account enables you to send messages securely, but only when you follow the instructions for sending Secure E-mail. If you must use your account to send patient information (or any other confidential information), you must include "Secure: " in your subject line to ensure that your message is delivered privately. (Be certain you include the colon and space characters.) You'll receive more information about patient information privacy in your first year.

Keep Your Computer Secure
Because the messages stored in your e-mail account are at greater risk of exposure or loss when your computer is not secure, ensure that you have completed all the required actions in our Computer Security guide.

This list is only a portion of your responsibilities. For complete details, see:

Learn about e-mail

To use e-mail effectively, learn about: