(19) 2008.5 APhA-ASP supports randomized drug testing among student pharmacists at times deemed appropriate by schools/colleges of pharmacy.

R2 PRT: Student Drug Abuse - Wording/action:
(19) 2008.5 APhA-ASP supports randomized drug testing among student pharmacists at times deemed appropriate by schools/colleges of pharmacy.

Reasons for the Action(s) / Pros and Cons:

Drug abuse among pharmacy students leads to drug abuse among pharmacists. Randomized testing could prevent this from happening. Although some students may feel this is an invasion of privacy, it would discourage students from abusing drugs. More specifically, drug testing would be useful before students go on rotations to ensure no abuse is present. To prevent false positives from causing false accusations proper judiciary policies must be created first. Ultimately, this will help problems become identified and solved before they become more serious and/or result in criminal acts and punishment.

Desiree Croteau ; 814-594-3022 ; croteaud@duq.edu ; Duquesne University