Implementation and Evaluation of Cultural Competency Training for Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Survey results suggest that the course successfully raised student awareness of diversity and provided basic knowledge and skills pertaining to cultural competence and cross-cultural communication.

A Comparison of Educational Interventions to Enhance Cultural Competency in Pharmacy Students

“…Some institutions have described and evaluated culturally relevant activities, such as lectures, case-based assessments, simulated and/or standardized patient activities; guest lecturers from various cultural, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and spiritual backgrounds; and other active-learning techniques. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] Activities such as these could be threaded throughout the degree program. [25][26][27] Additionally, the option of a required IPPE/ APPE may provide further opportunities to enhance cultural competency.…”

“…There are multiple descriptions of cultural competency education and awareness in individual courses, throughout several courses, and in introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs/APPEs). [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Some colleges and schools of pharmacy have elected to integrate cultural competency content throughout the entire PharmD curriculum. [25][26][27] Activities have included assigned readings, classroom lectures, documentaries, case discussions, and portfolio reflections.…”

Addressing Cultural Competency in Pharmacy Education through International Service Learning and Community Engagement

“…The literature on health disparities suggests that culture is a predictable contributing factor irrespective of an individual's access to the healthcare system, yet despite a steady improvement in health over the past several decades, there is increasing recognition that health inequities continue to be a problem among vulnerable and marginalized groups, such as the physically and mentally disabled, people living in poverty, aboriginal people, those living in rural and remote populations and immigrants [1][2][3]. The movement towards cultural competence has gained international attention, creating an impetus for post-secondary health professional programs to introduce curricula that cultivate such competence [1,2,4].…”

“…Nursing and medicine have been leaders in developing situated placements, including international service learning to promote cultural awareness in their curricula [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. The need for cultural competency training has also been articulated in the pharmacy education literature, with the acknowledgement that practicing pharmaceutical care without cultural competency can put patients at risk of poor patient outcomes [3,4,[16][17][18]. With this acknowledgement, pharmacy organizations in North America have introduced policies or statements addressing the need for cultural competence training within their curricula [18][19][20][21].…”

“Windshield Tour” — A Journey Towards Cultural Competency

“…6 There are numerous studies that detail efforts with nursing students, 7-10 medical students, [11][12][13][14] and other health care providers. [15][16] While the number of program descriptions have increased in the literature, there has been limited information regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of such program efforts. There are also few published reports that detail efforts with resident physicians.…”