Exploring Hidden Messages About Pharmacist Roles in Student-Designed Orientation T-Shirts

Objective. To develop an understanding of how images and symbols on student-designed orientation t-shirts represent students' beliefs about pharmacists' roles in practice.Methods. An exploratory qualitative study underpinned by perspectives on hidden curriculum and discursive practices was conducted at one Canadian pharmacy school. First-year students wrote responses to prompts about the t-shirts at the start and end of the school year. Concurrently, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were held with faculty, staff, and second- through fourth-year students. Six t-shirts from 2014-2019 were used for discussion. Data were independently coded by the two authors and themes were developed.Results. Students and faculty had mostly similar thoughts about the practice of giving orientation t-shirts and the messages on them. Many pointed to the drug-related aspects of pharmacists' roles and did not question this representation until explicitly prompted. Relatedly, most participants did not suggest that the t-shirts should emphasize the pharmacist-patient relationship and care provision. And while there were mixed thoughts about the business logo on the t-shirts, participants were often unperturbed by sponsorship or its potential effects on students.Conclusion. This study showed that despite national educational outcomes advocating the care provider role, these representations of pharmacy and pharmacists' roles still focus on drug expertise and drug provision. By revealing thoughts about the t-shirt images, the study highlighted how, despite explicit teaching of pharmacists' roles and the expanding scope of pharmacy, discursive practices in pharmacy education exist and form part of the hidden curriculum.