Substance Use Attitudes and Behaviors at Three Pharmacy Colleges

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to profile and compare alcohol and other drug (AOD) use attitudes and behaviors in three pharmacy colleges. Student surveys of AOD use attitudes and behaviors were conducted at one southwestern and two midwestern pharmacy colleges. Response was 86.5% (566/654). Reported past-year use included alcohol 82.8%, tobacco 25.4%, and marijuana 6.9%. Past-year AOD-associated events included blackouts 18.2%, class or work under influence 7.8%, patient care under influence 1.4%, lowered grades or job evaluations 5.8%, legal charges 2.7%, and heavy drinking 29.0%. Family histories of alcohol or drug problems were reported by 35.5% and 13.1%, respectively. A number of significant differences in AOD use attitudes and behaviors between the three colleges were identified. Pharmacy students reported a number of risky drug-use attitudes and behaviors in this survey. Student AOD prevention, assistance, and education should be proactively addressed by pharmacy colleges.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol use
• drug use
• pharmacy education
• students
• survey

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, for partial funding for this project, and the following individuals for their assistance with survey conduct, data analysis, and manuscript review: Sangeeta Agrawal, Thomas P. Reardon, and Drs. Jean Krajicek Bartek, David G. Brown, Amy E. Campbell, R. Ellen Davis-Hall, Laurie A. Pestel, and Edward B. Roche.

Notes

^a Excluded prescription or religious use.

^b Versus midwest public χ² = 25.4, P < .001; versus southwest public χ² = 10.8, P < .001.

^c Versus southwest public χ² = 3.4, P = .03.

^d Versus midwest private χ² = 5.6, P = .009; versus southwest public χ² = 7.0, P = .004.

^a Defined as parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters.

^b Versus midwest private χ² = 8.4, P = .004.

^c Versus midwest private χ² = 10.7, P = .001; versus midwest public χ² = 5.2, P = .02.

^a Alcohol and other drugs.

^b Versus midwest private χ² = 10.5, P = .001; versus southwest private χ² = 11.8, P < .001.

^c Versus midwest private χ² = 4.1, P = .04; versus southwest public χ² = 4.8, P = .03.