Drug Screening Policies and Procedures at Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

Indianapolis, IN

Objectives: Explore drug screening policies and procedures currently employed in various US colleges/schools of pharmacy related to drug-abuse incidents and types of substances most frequently abused Methods: IRB-approved, web-based questionnaire consisting of 4-26 questions utilizing skip-logic – responses remain confidential and were combined and analyzed to yield a national perspective Results: There was a 73% survey response rate, with 61% of colleges/schools of pharmacy having a policy or procedure in place. Private institutions were nearly twice as likely to require screening as public institutions. Main motivators for policy/procedure implementation include: experiential site requirement, admissions requirement, professional protection, and drug abuse deterrence. Conclusion: A screening program can assist in safeguarding students’ welfare, ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, and protect the integrity of the student, their college/school of pharmacy, and the profession of pharmacy as a whole.