The Case for Culturally Responsive Teaching in Pharmacy Curricula

Pharmacy Students' Perspectives on Human Resource Management: An Examination of Knowledge and Attitudes

(1) Background: This study aims to examine pharmacy students' perceptions of their knowledge and competencies in human resource management (HRM) while also investigating their attitudes toward the educational content provided in a didactic HRM course. (2) Methods: A survey evaluating both course knowledge (pre and post) and attitudes was administered to students enrolled in an HRM class. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and measures of associations. (3) Results: All 98 course enrollees completed the survey (N = 98), revealing statistically significant knowledge growth across HRM topics from pre- to post-survey (p < 0.05). Notably, emotional intelligence, workforce diversity, conflict resolution, and recruitment strategies exhibited the most substantial increases. The expert panel session proved highly effective, with 71% reporting it as the most knowledge-enhancing activity. "Global and cultural effectiveness" emerged as the most valued competency, reflecting a positive overall attitude towards HRM. (4) Conclusions: HRM competency is one of the most fundamental skills for pharmacists, as many problems faced by pharmacy organizations and their solutions stem from the workforce. Pharmacy schools should therefore assess their curriculum to ensure that HRM is adequately addressed to meet accreditation standards and to prepare students to navigate HRM challenges in their workplaces post-graduation.

Embedding cultural competency and cultural humility in undergraduate pharmacist initial education and training: a qualitative exploration of pharmacy student perspectives

BACKGROUND

Emphasis has been placed upon embedding equity, diversity and inclusion within the initial education and training of healthcare professionals, like pharmacists. Yet, there remains limited understanding of how best to integrate cultural competency and cultural humility into undergraduate pharmacy student training.

AIM

This qualitative study explored the views of pharmacy students to understand perspectives on, and identify recommendations for, embedding cultural competency and cultural humility within pharmacy education and training.

METHOD

Undergraduate pharmacy students from one UK-based School of Pharmacy were invited to participate in an in-person, semi-structured interview to discuss cultural competency in the pharmacy curriculum. Interviews were conducted between November 2022 and February 2023 and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic analysis enabled the development of themes. QSR NVivo (Version 12) facilitated data management. Ethical approval was obtained from the Newcastle University Ethics Committee.

RESULTS

Twelve undergraduate pharmacist students, across all years of undergraduate training, were interviewed. Three themes were developed from the data, centring on: (1) recognising and reflecting on cultural competency and cultural humility; (2) gaining exposure and growing in confidence; and (3) thinking forward as a culturally competent pharmacist of the future.

CONCLUSION

These findings offer actionable recommendations to align with the updated Initial Education and Training standards from the United Kingdom (UK) pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council; specifically, how and when cultural competency teaching should be embedded within the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. Future research should further explore teaching content, learning environments, and methods of assessing cultural competency.

'Creating a culturally competent pharmacy profession': A qualitative exploration of pharmacy staff perspectives of cultural competence and its training in community pharmacy settings

INTRODUCTION

Cultural competence is an important attribute underpinning interactions between healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists, and patients from ethnic minority communities. Health- and medicines-related inequalities affecting people from underrepresented ethnic groups, such as poorer access to healthcare services and poorer overall treatment outcomes in comparison to their White counterparts, have been widely discussed in the literature. Community pharmacies are the first port of call for healthcare services accessed by diverse patient populations; yet, limited research exists which explores the perceptions of culturally competent care within the profession, or the delivery of cultural competence training to community pharmacy staff. This research seeks to gather perspectives of community pharmacy teams relating to cultural competence and identify possible approaches for the adoption of cultural competence training.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted in-person, over the telephone or via video call, between October and December 2022. Perspectives on cultural competence and training were discussed. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The reflexive thematic analysis enabled the development of themes. QSR NVivo (Version 12) facilitated data management. Ethical approval was obtained from the Newcastle University Ethics Committee (reference: 25680/2022).

RESULTS

Fourteen participants working in community pharmacies were interviewed, including eight qualified pharmacists, one foundation trainee pharmacist, three pharmacy technicians/dispensers and two counter assistants. Three themes were developed from the data which centred on (1) defining and appreciating cultural competency within pharmacy services; (2) identifying pharmacies as 'cultural hubs' for members of the diverse, local community and (3) delivering cultural competence training for the pharmacy profession.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study offer new insights and suggestions on the delivery of cultural competence training to community pharmacy staff, students and trainees entering the profession. Collaborative co-design approaches between patients and pharmacy staff could enable improved design, implementation and delivery of culturally competent pharmacy services.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement group at Newcastle University had input in the study design and conceptualisation. Two patient champions inputted to ensure that the study was conducted, and the findings were reported, with cultural sensitivity.

Exploring Cultural Intelligence Validity and Teaching Self Efficacy in Pharmacy Faculty

OBJECTIVE

To examine the construct validity of cultural intelligence (CI) and evaluate faculty self-efficacy in developing cultural intelligence in Doctor of Pharmacy students.

METHODS

A survey was developed based on a CI framework for pharmacy education consisting of four domains. Survey items were measured on a scale from 1-cannot do at all to 10-highly certain can do. Survey responses from faculty in the Doctor of Pharmacy program who completed ≥90% of the survey items were included. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted using principal components analysis with a varimax rotation and the Kaiser rule. Internal consistency reliability of each cultural intelligence construct was examined using Cronbach's alpha (α).

RESULTS

Fifty-four Doctor of Pharmacy faculty members (83% response rate) completed the survey. The exploratory factor analysis revealed three CI constructs: (1) cultural awareness (α = 0.93), (2) cultural practice (α = 0.96), and (3) cultural desire (α = 0.89). Participants rated their CI teaching self-efficacy highest for cultural awareness (6.13 (1.93)), and lowest for cultural desire (3.90 (2.87)).

CONCLUSION

Faculty play a critical role in the development of students; understanding CI teaching self-efficacy can inform faculty development strategies and curriculum improvements. Additional research is needed to identify related evidence-based methods for faculty development strategies utilizing the identified patterns and constructs.

Pharmacist Preceptor Exposure, Comfort and Awareness of Resources to Address the Social Determinants of Health-A Pilot Study

As preceptors are responsible for the experiential education of future pharmacists, it is important to assess understanding and identify knowledge gaps for preceptor development. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the exposure to social determinants of health (SDOH), comfort in addressing social needs, and awareness of social resources among the preceptors at one college of pharmacy. A brief online survey was sent to all affiliated pharmacist preceptors with screening criteria for pharmacists who had regular one-on-one patient interactions. Of 166 preceptor respondents (response rate = 30.5%), 72 eligible preceptors completed the survey. Self-reported SDOH exposure increased along the educational continuum (with increasingly more emphasis from the didactic to experiential to residency). Preceptors who graduated after 2016, practiced in either community or clinic settings and served >50% of underserved patients were the most comfortable addressing social needs and the most aware of social resources. Preceptor understanding of SDOH has implications for their ability to educate future pharmacists. Colleges of pharmacy should evaluate practice site placement as well as preceptor knowledge and comfort in addressing social needs in order to ensure that all students are exposed to the SDOH throughout the continuum of learning. Best practices for up-skilling preceptors in this area should also be explored.

Pedagogical Tools and Strategies for Developing Cultural Intelligence in Pharmacy Students and Educators

OBJECTIVE

To review evidence-based pedagogical tools and strategies used to support the development of cultural intelligence in pharmacy education.

FINDINGS

An exhaustive list of search terms was included to capture the variety of terms for "cultural intelligence" (eg, cultural competence). The search was not limited to any publication year range. Search engines included PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, ERIC, and PsycInfo. A total of 639 articles were identified after removing duplicates. Eighty-two articles were included for full review after screening. Year of publication ranged from 2004 - 2021. Two articles (2.4%) described tools for educator development, whereas the rest (n = 80, 97.6%) focused on student development. Examples of tools reported included lectures and workshops. Twenty-seven articles (32.9%) described pedagogical tools for fostering cultural intelligence concurrently with interprofessional development; the remaining articles (n = 55, 67.0%) focused only on pharmacy. Thirty-two articles (39.0%) used quantitative analysis methods, and 13 articles (15.9%) used qualitative analysis methods. Sixty-four articles (78.0%) included outcomes of perceptions, 6 (7.3%) included outcomes of participation, and 33 (40.2%) included outcomes of performance. Although not every study addressed all 4 cultural intelligence framework domains (awareness, knowledge, practice, and desire), each domain was apparent within the included articles.

SUMMARY

Various pedagogical tools have been used to develop cultural intelligence in pharmacy students with some tools used more than others. Findings suggest that integrating various pedagogical methods throughout the curriculum aligns more closely with the dynamic nature of learning and continuous self-refinement required to develop cultural intelligence.

Creating an inclusive climate within pharmacy practice

OBJECTIVE

Identify the impact of a brief, educational intervention on student pharmacist understanding of unconscious bias and its systemic effects; cultural humility; and commitment to change.

METHODS

A pre-intervention survey, with questions utilizing a five-point Likert scale was embedded into the beginning of a series of online, interactive, educational modules addressing cultural humility, unconscious bias, and inclusive pharmacy practices. Third-year professional pharmacy students completed the course as part of their curriculum. At the conclusion of the modules, participants completed the post-intervention survey with the same set of questions, which was linked to the pre-intervention survey by a participant-generated code. Changes in means for the pre- and post-intervention cohorts were calculated and analyzed utilizing a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Responses were also grouped dichotomously and evaluated using the McNemar test.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine students completed both the pre- and post-intervention surveys. The greatest change on Likert scale questions was noted in understanding of cultural humility (+1.4). Much or complete confidence in being able to describe unconscious bias and cultural competence improved from 58% to 88% and 14% to 71%, respectively (P < .05). Although a trend toward positive change was noted, a significant impact was not observed for questions assessing understanding of their systemic effects and commitment to change.

CONCLUSION

Interactive educational modules positively impact student understanding of unconscious bias and cultural humility. Further investigation is necessary to determine if continuous exposure to this and similar topics deepens student understanding of systemic impact and commitment to change.

Designing an Inclusive Learning Training Series for Pharmacy Educators

This article describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of five faculty development sessions focused on inclusive teaching strategies in pharmacy education. Inclusive strategies ensure that every student can clearly understand and engage in meaningful learning opportunities. Three sessions were implemented in fall 2020 and two in spring 2021. Sessions focused on experiential, didactic, and graduate education. A convergent parallel mixed methods evaluation was conducted using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Sessions were highly rated, and participants provided suggestions for curriculum improvement (e.g., creating resources, surveying students, and peer auditing syllabi for aspects of inclusiveness). Given the increasing emphasis on inclusion in pharmacy education, this work is timely for sharing strategies aimed at faculty development and teaching practices.

Beyond Humility: Empowering Minoritized Learners Through Culturally Reflective Medicine

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter and other antiracism justice movements, medical education is evolving to incorporate health equity principles for all medical students and residents, while also increasing institutional diversity recruitment of minoritized physicians. As the demographics of U.S. medical trainees shift to reflect a rapidly evolving patient population, the prevalence of culturally concordant patient-physician visits, where patients share elements of language, religion, customs, and identities with their physician, is also expected to increase. However, existing antiracist curricula are standardized to all learners and there is a dearth of cultural sensitivity training designed specifically for minoritized learners to interrogate the culturally concordant space they share with patients and mentors. In this article, the authors propose a new model for minoritized learners' cultural training, culturally reflective medicine (CRM) that identifies unanticipated tensions that may arise as minoritized learners bridge both White and Eurocentric professional and personal identities, examines how intersectionality can both strengthen encounters and lead to shared blind spots, and empowers minoritized physicians with tools for self- and group reflection to advocate for their communities. CRM is contextualized within the current landscape of cultural sensitivity training in medical education. The authors provide 2 clinical vignettes to demonstrate how CRM can unveil more nuanced understandings of health disparities than existing cultural training. As institutions work toward diversity, equity, justice, and antioppression, CRM provides a novel framework for redesigning medical education that better acknowledges and incorporates the unique knowledge of minoritized learners.

Focusing on cultural humility in pharmacy assessment tools

INTRODUCTION

Many pharmacy programs have been reviewing their curricula to ensure that unconscious bias is not interwoven throughout. However, few programs have looked at their assessment tools to determine if unconscious bias exists in them. Since research on unconscious bias in assessment tools is currently limited, this study was developed to explore how race, ethnicity, age, and gender were used in multiple-choice item banks at one pharmacy program.

METHODS

A total of 27 pharmacy test banks, including examinations from first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy curricula, were examined. The exams administered in the 27 courses provided 3621 questions for review and coding based on reference to race, ethnicity, age, and gender.

RESULTS

Of the total 3621 exam items reviewed, 40 referenced race. Of those 40, it was determined that race was only applicable/relevant to two (5%) of the questions, linked to Whites. Gender breakdown was 56% male and 45% female, with no mention of transgender. Gender was central to 72 of the 426 questions. Age was mentioned in 381 of the questions and was central in only 46. Ethnicity was not mentioned in any of the questions. In none of the questions were these variables self-identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The routine mention of race in preparation of materials such as question banks, with no specified goal, risks contributing to racial bias. The goal of all pharmacy educators is to graduate pharmacists that possess sound academic knowledge, clinical skills, and the cultural humility to provide quality care to their patients.

A Call to Action for Cultural Humility in Pharmacy Education Student Assessments

An important topic in the conversation on the education of pharmacy students evolves around methods of pedagogy and assessment and attention to diversity and inclusion. Well-intentioned educators may introduce bias into their teachings and assessment tools by focusing on diseases with a higher rate of presentation in minorities without engaging in conversations about why these health disparities exist. When considering the content and structure of a curriculum, it is also important to review its assessment tools, with attention to cultural humility in multiple-choice examinations, case-based presentations, and even observed structured clinical examinations. Disregarding this component of the conversation may lead students to have an unconscious impression that social constructs are biological markers for a disease. Students may recall not only what they learned in a classroom setting, but often the content included in their assessments as well. By writing test items that are culturally responsible, unconscious bias can be reduced and test items can better measure the knowledge that educators intend to assess. As pharmacy educators perform programmatic reviews, attention should be directed toward unconscious bias, not only in the curricula but also in evaluation and assessment tools.

Pharmacogenomics and clinical cultural competency: pathway to overcome the limitations of race

Global migration trends are accelerating population admixture. Increasing population diversity met with minority health disparities necessitates thoughtful training of health professional students. Health professional accreditation standards emphasize pharmacogenomics and clinical cultural competency (CCC); however, published studies focus on students’ knowledge in pharmacogenomics alone. This report reviews considerations for integrating CCC into required pharmacogenomic education in pharmacy and other health disciplines. By coupling both topics during didactic training and active learning exercises repeated throughout the existing curriculum, students can become adept at these individualized patient care skills and retain their knowledge into their careers. Moving beyond race as a proxy for healthcare decision-making, the CCC of clinicians coupled with patients’ genetic test results could empower clinicians to address health disparities and facilitate discussions about the role of race in clinical practice. Ultimately, an integrated approach of teaching pharmacogenomics and CCC could dismantle race-norming or race-based clinical practices.

Introduction to Implementing Health Disparities and Cultural Competence Content in the Doctor of Pharmacy Curriculum

The 2013 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) White Paper by O'Connell and colleagues introduced instructional approaches and resources for assessing health disparities and cultural competency training within the pharmacy curriculum. Instructional standards, such as the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards 2016, have been updated to state the importance of teaching "cultural awareness" and exposure to "diverse populations" within pharmacy curricula. There remains a gap in understanding how various programs should implement these concepts. To ensure that the knowledge students learn is meaningful, it is critical for approaches to HDCC education to be intentional, integrative, and comprehensive. Without this type of approach, students may lose key skills and be unable to deliver culturally responsive, patient-centered care upon graduation. In this theme issue, three papers will introduce areas for HDCC inclusion and explore how these topics are currently being covered in pharmacy education. Recommendations on best practices are provided.

Self-Assessment of Cultural Competence and Social Determinants of Health within a First-Year Required Pharmacy Course

As social determinants of health (SDOH) and health disparities are integrated with cultural competence in healthcare education, tools assessing multiple topics are needed. The Self-Assessment of Perceived Level of Cultural Competence (SAPLCC) survey is validated in student pharmacists and includes SDOH. The research objective was to determine if the SAPLCC survey can quantify cultural competence and SDOH course learning. First-year student pharmacists (N = 87) completed the SAPLCC survey anonymously before and after a social and administrative sciences course. The survey had 75 items with 1–4 Likert scales (4 high, total 300 points). All items were summed for the total score. Each item was assigned to a domain and factor. Factors were assigned to domains. The baseline total score was 190 ± 29 points, increasing by 63 ± 33 points post-course. All domains (i.e., knowledge, skills, attitudes, encounters, abilities, awareness), 13 of 14 factors, and total scores statistically increased. The SAPLCC tool captured student pharmacists’ self-reported changes in cultural competence and SDOH.

Development of a Cultural Intelligence Framework in Pharmacy Education

Objective. Pharmacists must be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide culturally intelligent and patient-centered care; however, most are not trained to do so. In order to prepare culturally intelligent pharmacists, standards and curricula for cultural intelligence must be defined and implemented within pharmacy education. The objective of this study was to create a cultural intelligence framework (CIF) for pharmacy education and determine its alignment with Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) training.Methods. An extensive literature analysis on current methods of cultural intelligence education was used to construct a CIF, which integrates leading models of cultural intelligence in health care education with Bloom's Taxonomy. Five student focus groups were conducted to explore and map their cultural experiences to the CIF. All focus groups were recorded, transcribed, deidentified and deductively coded using the CIF.Results. The four CIF domains (awareness, knowledge, practice, desire) were observed in all five focus groups; however, not every participant expressed each domain when sharing their experiences. Most students expressed cultural awareness, knowledge, and desire, however, only a few students discussed cultural practice. Participant comments regarding their experiences differed by race and year in the curriculum.Conclusion. This study was a first step toward understanding cultural intelligence education and experiences in pharmacy. The CIF represents an evidence-based approach to cultural intelligence training that can help prepare pharmacy learners to be socially responsible health care practitioners.

Effects of Racial Trauma on Black Doctor of Pharmacy Students

Objective. In the wake of several high-profile police killings, in 2020 the United States began another reckoning with structural racism, injustice, and violence against Black Americans. The objectives of this study were to explore the impact of racialized sociopolitical events on Black Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students.Methods. Focus groups were conducted with second- to fourth-year Black PharmD students enrolled at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy. The focus groups were conducted in summer 2020, beginning two months after the murder of George Floyd and concluding before the start of the fall semester. Data analysis was conducted using a phenomenological approach, and themes were identified using inductive coding.Results. Twenty-four participants were recruited into five focus group sessions. Thematic analysis of the transcripts resulted in three distinct themes related to the study objectives: Vicarious Trauma, Hypervigilance, and Fight or Flight Responses. Black students reported that they experienced significant psychological distress as a result of prominent racially traumatic events. Some Black students reported withdrawing from non-Black persons due to hypersensitivity and anxiety while others were willing to engage in candid conversations.Conclusion. Racial trauma has implications for student wellness and academic success. As racism and police brutality have proven to be an ever-present problem, this study offers key information for consideration as institutions recruit, support, and retain diverse learners. The data may also inform educators and pharmacy students regarding interactions with Black patients, coworkers, and health professionals during times of sociopolitical unrest.

Developing the "Upstreamist" through Antiracism Teaching in Pharmacy Education

Objective. To present antiracism teaching as a key modality and an upstream approach to addressing health disparities in pharmacy education. Relevant theoretical frameworks and pedagogical strategies used in other health disciplines will be reviewed to present how antiracism curricula can be integrated into pharmacy educational outcomes.Findings. Various disciplines have incorporated antiracism pedagogy in their respective programs and accreditation standards. While challenges to implementation are acknowledged, structural racism continues to compromise health outcomes and should be centralized when addressing health disparities.Summary. Pharmacy curricula has explored and implemented cultural competency as a means to address the social determinants of health. By intentionally addressing racism in the context of health disparities, student pharmacists will further acknowledge racism as a public health issue and a systemic barrier to patient-centered care.

A faculty and staff workshop on microaggression and implicit bias: Knowledge and awareness of student, faculty, and staff experiences

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

This paper describes the context and experiences of a workshop to raise knowledge and awareness of a college of pharmacy's faculty and staff about microaggressive behaviors and implicit biases. The workshop was intended to provide a non-threatening, interactive, and informative professional development program to demonstrate the cumulative marginalizing effects on students, faculty, and staff who may perceive themselves as targets.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

A half-day workshop was conducted during July 2018. Participants were initially provided with definitions and categories of microaggression and implicit bias. To bring the subject matter "alive" and foster receptivity, interactive videos were shown with scenarios depicting situations reflective of microaggressions and implicit biases. College faculty, staff, and students made these relatable. To foster objectivity, an outside consultant was hired to facilitate the ensuing roundtable and plenary discussions.

FINDINGS

Sixty-eight participants responded to a pre-survey designed by the workshop team, and 78% indicated never having attended a training/seminar on microaggression and/or implicit bias. Sixty-two individuals responded to the post-survey with 92% indicating increased knowledge gained from workshop. Anecdotal reports suggested that the workshop had an ongoing impact, as faculty and staff continued the discussions in subsequent months and requested additional training sessions.

SUMMARY

The workshop heightened awareness and increased faculty and staff knowledge on microaggressive behaviors, implicit biases, and the potential consequences thereof. It also demonstrated the importance of addressing conversations that are perceived as difficult, in order to create a diverse and inclusive workplace and learning environment for all.

Nursing Lecturers' Perception and Experience of Teaching Cultural Competence: A European Qualitative Study

Cultural competence is an essential component in providing effective and culturally responsive healthcare services, reducing health inequalities, challenging racism in health care and improving patient safety, satisfaction and health outcomes. It is thus reasonable that undergraduate nursing students can develop cultural competency through education and training. The aim of this paper was to investigate nursing lecturers' perception and experience of teaching cultural competence in four undergraduate nursing programs. A phenomenological approach was selected to illicit nursing lecturers' perception of culture and experience of teaching cultural competence. Semi-structured personal interviews were held with a sample of 24 lecturers from four European universities. The anonymized transcripts were analyzed qualitatively following Braun and Clark's phases for thematic analysis. Six themes and fifteen subthemes emerged from thematic analysis of the transcripts. Cultural competence was not explicitly integrated in the nursing curricula. Instead, the lecturers used mainly examples and case studies to illustrate the theory. The integration of cultural content in the modules was unplanned and not based on a specific model. Nursing programs should be examined to establish how cultural content is integrated in the curricula; clear guidelines and standards for a systematic integration of cultural content in the nursing curriculum should be developed.

Systemic Racism: Pharmacists' Role and Responsibility

Systemic racism is a public health emergency and disproportionately impacts communities of color, specifically Black Americans. Pharmacists took an oath to protect the welfare of humanity and protect our patients. As such, to practice truly patient-centered care, pharmacists must recognize racism as a root cause of social determinants of health and use their privilege to educate themselves and their colleagues around dismantling structural racism.

Systemic racism: Pharmacists' role and responsibility

Systemic racism is a public health emergency and disproportionately impacts communities of color, specifically black Americans. Pharmacists took an oath to protect the welfare of humanity and protect our patients. As such, to practice truly patient-centered care, pharmacists must recognize racism as a root cause of social determinants of health and use their privilege to educate themselves and their colleagues around dismantling structural racism.

Systemic racism: Pharmacists' role and responsibility

Systemic racism is a public health emergency and disproportionately impacts communities of color, specifically black Americans. Pharmacists took an oath to protect the welfare of humanity and protect our patients. As such, to practice truly patient-centered care, pharmacists must recognize racism as a root cause of social determinants of health and use their privilege to educate themselves and their colleagues around dismantling structural racism.

Impact of elective on students' perceptions of treating patients with a substance use disorder

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of a substance use disorder (SUD) elective curriculum on students' perceptions of treating patients with SUDs using the Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire (DDPPQ).

METHODS

In 2017, a third-year pharmacy elective, conceptualizing SUD as a chronic, relapsing brain disease with psychosocial and societal influencers, was introduced. A linked pre- and postcourse assessment using the DDPPQ was carried out for the following categories: role adequacy, role support, job satisfaction, role-related self-esteem, and role legitimacy.

RESULTS

A total of 63 students were enrolled in the elective and 54 paired questionnaires were available for analysis. There was a statistically significant improvement in attitude across all 5 categories of the DDPPQ.

CONCLUSION

Students' attitudes toward working with patients with SUD improved after completing the elective. This study indicates that teaching student pharmacists about effectively recognizing and treating SUDs may result in more willingness to work with these patients in the future.