A study compared the pharmacology training of nurse practitioner programs with medical and dental programs. Seventy-three schools in 14 states (40 nurse practitioner programs, 19 schools of medicine, and 14 schools of dentistry) were surveyed by mailed questionnaire about the number of hours devoted to the study of pharmacology. The major findings were that significant differences exist among the three school types on instructional hours spent on basic pharmacological principles, central nervous system depressants and stimulants, psychopharmacology, drug effects on the nervous system, cardiovascular agents, endocrine agents, chemotherapy, and poisons and antidotes. In most cases, medical schools spent more time in these areas than either dental or nurse practitioner programs, and dental schools often spent more time than nurse practitioner programs. No statistically significant differences were found among the three schools in ocular pharmacology, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract agents, and drug interactions. The study concluded that if nurse practitioners are to become independent professionals, they need the right to prescribe medications, and that if they are going to exercise that right, nurse practitioner programs must increase both total hours and various content areas in pharmacology. (KC)