Please Note: Allergy Injection Services does not perform allergy testing, quick building, or test dosing; create serum; or start allergy therapy. If you aren’t currently under an allergist’s care, talk with your primary care provider and review your health insurance plan for referral information. Serum cannot be shipped from UHS.

At this time, we are serving UMass students only. UMass staff, please contact local allergists in the community for services.

If you are currently receiving either environmental and/or venom injections from your allergist, you can continue those injections at UHS with one of our trained allergy nurses. Guidelines for injecting allergy serum can differ greatly between allergist’s offices; therefore, the nurses will follow each individual patient’s specific allergy instructions from their allergist’s office. A UHS doctor is required to be near the allergy injecting area, which means injections are only given at specific times by appointment (no walk-ins). The nursing office has medications and equipment necessary for any systemic reactions that may occur. No appointment is necessary for serum pick-up or drop-off.

Before receiving injections at UHS, your allergist's office must complete and return UHS's Immunotherapy Guidelines form. Alternatively, your allergist’s office paperwork is acceptable as long as the information below is included:

• Documentation of last injections (must be no longer than 3 months prior to UHS appointment), including the site, dose, and response to that dose.
• Build-up schedule including minimum interval, late instructions, and any cut-back in dose for seasonal or previous reactions. Also, what the plan will be once the maintenance dose is reached.
• Maintenance schedule including minimum interval, late instructions, and any cut-back in dose for seasonal or previous reactions.
• Serum vials with labeling that includes the contents of the vial, an expiration date of the serum, and two patient identifiers: name and date of birth.

Due to a large volume of new students in the fall semester, any missing information will be the responsibility of the patient or their parent to retrieve. Please fax required documents to 413-577-5106, attention “Allergy.”

UMass Students:

• To schedule your first appointment, call 413-577-5169.
• After your first appointment, call 413-577-5101 for scheduling, or book online using the UMass Patient Portal: Login and click “Appts,” then from the Clinic menu select “UHS Nursing,” and for Reason select “Allergy Serum Injection.”
• After receiving injections, you must wait at UHS for at least 30 minutes, so staff can check for reactions. Be sure to allow enough time in your schedule to wait.
• You'll be asked to complete an Allergy Injection Services Intake form before your first visit, and annually from then on.

​​​Additional Requirements:

• At your first visit, the allergy nurse will book an appointment for you with the Allergy Injection Services supervising physician. In this appointment, the doctor will review your allergies, medical history, and any medications you are taking, to make sure UHS is a safe environment for you to receive your allergy injections. Anyone with more than one systemic reaction from allergy injections, or with a complicated medical history, may be referred to a local allergist for their injections.
• Any patient whose allergist requires that you show a non-expired Epi-pen, have vital signs taken, have lung sounds assessed, have a peak flow performed, or pre-medication with an antihistamine, will also be required to do so by the UHS nurse. No exceptions.
• For any patient diagnosed with current and active asthma, UHS requires you to show a non-expired Epi-pen and a non-expired rescue inhaler (Albuterol), as well as perform a peak flow at each visit. No exceptions.

Sending Serum to UHS

Serum can be shipped to, but not from UHS. Serum can also be hand-delivered during UHS business hours. Please write on the outside of the package, “Refrigerate Upon Arrival” and send to:

University Health Services
Attn: Allergy Injection Services
150 Infirmary Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9288

For further questions, please call the Nursing Office at 413-577-5169.