How to Obtain a Health Commerce System (HCS) Account

A New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) HCS account is needed for the completion of the online Certified Pharmacist Immunizer Survey. Many pharmacies already have HCS accounts. The person who has already obtained or who obtains this account is known as the HCS Director. This is generally someone with the authority to make decisions about personnel hiring and termination. If your pharmacy does not yet have an HCS account, you can obtain one here: https://hcsteamwork1.health.state.ny.us/pub/top.html .

  2. report on behalf of their pharmacists, or
  3. instruct each employee to obtain their own HCS account so they may report on their own behalf.
    1. If a pharmacy chooses to report on behalf of their pharmacists, this reporting may be done by:
      • The HCS Director, or the pharmacy can assign one or more other pharmacy staff into the role of HCS Coordinator(s), who then may report on behalf of the pharmacy's immunizing pharmacists.
      • In either case, the HCS Director or the HCS Coordinator(s) will need to sign an agreement to abide by the policies and procedures for accessing and using data and information contained on the HCS.
      • The HCS Director will then receive an email with the Document 1 Security and Use Policy (SAUP), the Document 2 SAUP, and the account request form (Document 1 - Schedule 2.A) that he/she must print out and sign in the presence of a notary.
    2. If the pharmacy director chooses to have certified pharmacists report on their own behalf, pharmacists should be instructed to obtain their own HCS account. They will need to sign an agreement to abide by the policies and procedures for accessing and using data and information contained on the HCS.
      • Pharmacists reporting on their own behalf can apply for an HCS account here:
        https://hcsteamwork1.health.state.ny.us/pub/top.html
      • The HCS Coordinator will receive an email with the Document 1 SAUP, the Document 2 SAUP, and the account request form (Document 1 - Schedule 2.B) that he/she must print out and sign in the presence of a notary.
      • The Pharmacy HCS Director must also sign line six authorizing the HCS Coordinator's account, but the HCS Director's signature does not have to be notarized.
  4. both account request forms with original signatures in the same envelope to:
  5. New York State Department of Health
    Commerce Accounts Management Unit (CAMU) Supervisors
    800 North Pearl Street, Room 214
    Albany, NY 12204-1899
    6. HCS accounts will be created for the HCS Director and the HCS Coordinator. The HCS Director and HCS Coordinator applying for HCS accounts will each be mailed a letter containing an HCS PIN (needed to activate their account) and account activation instructions. The HCS Director form must be process with the HCS Coordinator's form.

Additional Resources:

  1. For further information, please see NYSDOH's "Pharmacists as Immunizers" homepage:
    http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/providers/pharmacists_as_immunizers.htm.
  2. For HCS Coordinator Training call 518-473-1809 or send an email to:
    hcsoutreach@health.state.ny.us.
  3. To log into the HCS, please go to:
    https://commerce.health.state.ny.us.

For additional information or questions for those located outside of New York City (NYC), call the NYSDOH Bureau of Immunization at 518-473-4437 or in NYC, call the NYC Department of Health and Mental Health Bureau of Immunization at 212-676-2323.