The purpose of this study was to assess the level of caring ability of a sample of pharmacy students and assess the relationship between selected predictor variables and pharmacy students' caring ability. Caring was viewed as the ability to assume responsibility for the protection and welfare of another without being perfunctory or begrudging. Questionnaires, including the Caring Ability Inventory (N. Nkongho, 1990) (CAI), a measure of parental bonding, and a measure of school climate, were administered in 3 pharmacy schools in the United States, and 322 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 93%. The mean caring score on the CAI for pharmacy students was 198, below the low, medium, and high CAI norms for nurses and approximately at the median norm for female college students. Whether or not this is an adequate level of caring to provide pharmaceutical care is not clear. The developed model explained a modest amount of variance in pharmacy students' level of caring, with maternal bonding and school climate morale as statistically significant predictors. Students have been attracted to pharmacy traditionally because of the business orientation and the science foundation. The affective domains may become more important as the profession moves toward a patient orientation. (Contains 2 tables and 24 references.) (SLD)