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Implementation and evaluation of cultural competency training for pharmacy students
Mitra Assemi1, Chris Cullander, Karen Suchanek Hudmon
1University of California at San Francisco Fresno Pharmacy Education Program, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93710-7702, USA. assemi@itsa.ucsf.edu
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|March 18, 2004
Summary
A cultural competency training course significantly improved pharmacy students' awareness, knowledge, and communication skills. This training is vital for effective patient care in a diverse US population.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Education
- Cultural Competency Training
- Health Disparities
Background:
- US demographics are shifting, increasing the need for culturally competent pharmacists.
- Existing pharmacy curricula lack sufficient assessment tools for cultural competency training effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement and evaluate a cultural competency training course for pharmacy students.
- To assess the impact of the training on students' cultural awareness, knowledge, and communication skills.
Main Methods:
- An 8-hour elective cultural competency course was offered to 60 pharmacy students.
- A 12-item survey measured perceived cultural competence and cross-cultural communication skills pre- and post-training.
- Paired surveys allowed for within-student change analysis.
Main Results:
- A 96.6% survey response rate was achieved with 56 analyzable paired surveys.
- Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were observed in all survey items and total scores post-training.
- Mean total scores increased from 33.35 pre-training to 47.88 post-training.
Conclusions:
- The training course effectively enhanced pharmacy students' awareness of diversity.
- The course provided foundational knowledge and skills in cultural competence and cross-cultural communication.
- The findings support the integration of such training into pharmacy curricula.