A survey of pharmacy students' experiences with gambling.

Objectives: To assess gambling among pharmacy students using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS).

Methods: Six hundred fifty-eight pharmacy students enrolled at Creighton University were surveyed to determine the extent and characteristics of their gambling.

Results: Four hundred eighty-eight students (74.2%) participated (mean age was 26.6 years and 63.4% were female). Almost two-thirds (63.1%) gambled at least once during the past 12 months. Slightly more than 16% (80) of students were identified as "at-risk" (SOGS scores of 1 to 2). Another 5% (24) were likely to be problem gamblers (SOGS scores of 3 to 4), while 1% of students were identified as probable pathological gamblers (SOGS scores > or = 5). Students who gambled were significantly more likely than non-gamblers to be single males. Gamblers with a score > or = 1were significantly more likely to report gambling had affected their relationships with others, compared to casual gamblers.

Conclusions: Gambling is a common activity among pharmacy students. While the incidence of problem gambling is relatively small, the percentage of our students who may be at-risk for gambling-related problems is noteworthy.