Curriculum Recommendations of the AACP-PSSC Task Force on Caring for the Underserved

Abstract

A task force was convened by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the Pharmaceutical Services Support Center (PSSC) and charged with the development of a curriculum framework to guide pharmacy programs in educating students on caring for the underserved. Utilizing a literature-based model, the task force constructed a framework that delineated evidence-based practice, clinical prevention and health promotion, health systems and policy, and community aspects of practice. Specific learning outcomes tailored to underserved populations were crafted and linked to resources readily available to the academy.The AACP-PSSC curriculum framework was shared with the academy in 2007. Schools and Colleges are urged to share experiences with implementation so that the impact of the tool can be evaluated. The task force recommends that the AACP Institutional Research Advisory Committee be involved in gathering assessment data. Implementation of the curriculum framework can help the academy fulfill the professional mandate to proactively provide the highest quality care to all, including underserved populations.

Addressing Competencies for the Future in the Professional Curriculum

“…38,39,43 Caring for the underserved must be incorporated throughout the curriculum, not just in experiential education or elective courses. [72][73][74] Exposure to crosscultural differences should occur throughout the curriculum in a variety of ways, ideally in interactive situations, which would challenge student pharmacists to engage in openminded communication. 41 Consulting successful published reports in the literature of cultural competence initiatives may provide topics as well as potential course activities to consider.…”

Fostering and Managing Diversity in Schools of Pharmacy

“…1,20,32,33 The Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) and multiple professional pharmacy associations have proposed strategies to increase workforce diversity and cultural sensitivity by recruiting a diverse student body and incorporating cultural competence training into the pharmacy curriculum. 20,30,[34][35][36] Student body racial and ethnic diversity has had a positive impact on student attitudes about the value of diversity, cultural competence, and improved access to care for underserved patients.…”

The Sustained, Positive Impact of a Native American Cultures and Health Course on Students’ Education and Practice-Related Choices

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Examples of the centrality of cultural competency to contemporary practice include the ongoing work of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Caring for the Underserved Curriculum Task Force, the inclusion of cultural sensitivity in the Approach to Practice and Care domain of the 2013 CAPE Educational Outcomes, and cultural awareness and sensitivity elements within Standards 3, 25, and Appendices 1-3 of the draft ACPE Standards 2016. [10][11][12] However, a review of the literature indicates that, while some programs incorporate a brief immersion into their cultural enrichment experiences, the elective courses in Native American cultures and health are relatively unique with respect to their emphasis on career discernment within the studied population. Programs attempting to foster an interest in rural health practice are most similar, as they blend college or school-supported, immersive cultural study experiences with a goal of shaping career choice.…”