Pharmacy Students' Self-Reported Cultural Competence in a Pharmacy Curriculum by Academic Year

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to explore the results of a Cultural Competency Assessment of Pharmacy Students (CCAPS) survey to identify areas where cultural competence content in one college of pharmacy curriculum can be improved.

Methods: The 39-item CCAPS survey was developed and administered to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students from July 2022 (after the end of the didactic curriculum and at the beginning of experiential rotations for fourth-year students) to October 2022 (at the beginning of the fall semester for first-year, second-year, and third-year students). Self-perception of cultural competency items were selected from the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument and the Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire items. Responses were collected anonymously and analyzed in the aggregate by academic year using SPSS.

Results: A total of 541 students participated, with ethnicities including White/European American (26.6%), East/South/Southeast Asian (17%, 18.5%, 5.4%), Arab/Middle Eastern (17.9%), African American/Black (6.7%), and Hispanic (6.1%). Two-thirds of respondents identified as "very or extremely" culturally competent, and 78% reported comfort interacting with culturally diverse patients. Students scored lower on questions that assessed their comfort interacting with patients who have limited English proficiency or who refuse medications due to cultural reasons. Students in the fourth year reported more difficulty practicing skills related to cultural competency in their daily lives compared with students in other years.

Conclusion: Using the CCAPS survey annually could help evaluate the cultural competency of pharmacy students across different academic years and identify gaps in the curriculum related to cultural competency.

Keywords: Cultural competence; Diversity education; Pharmacy education.