Attitudes of matriculating first-year pharmacy students toward a mandatory, random drug-screening program.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the attitudes of incoming pharmacy students toward a mandatory, random urine drug-screening program.
METHODS: This was an anonymous, voluntary survey of students at the McWhorter School of Pharmacy (MSOP) using an instrument composed of 40 items. The instrument was administered during orientation week prior to the session during which the policies and procedures of MSOP's drug-screening program were to be discussed.
RESULTS: The survey instrument was completed by all 129 (100%) students in the class. Two-thirds of the students were aware of MSOP's drug-screening program prior to applying, but only a few felt uneasy about applying to the school because of the program. The greatest concerns expressed by the students included what would happen if a student unintentionally missed a drug screen or was busy with other matters when called for screening, how much time a drug-screening would take, and the possibility of false-positive drug screen results. The vast majority of students agreed with statements regarding the potential benefits of drug testing. Students who consumed alcohol in a typical week and those with current or past use of an illegal substance held less favorable attitudes toward MSOP's mandatory drug-screening program compared with students who did not share those characteristics.
CONCLUSION: Although there were definite concerns expressed regarding pragmatic issues surrounding drug screening, the first-year pharmacy students held generally favorable opinions about the school's mandatory drug-screening program.