(125) COEPA Ready: Innovative Pedagogy for Integrating Social Determinants of Health in PharmD Curricula

Objective : COEPA outcomes recognize the need for social determinants of health (SDH) education as a key domain for pharmacy learners. However, there is a dearth of published strategies for incorporating comprehensive SDH education in PharmD curricula. The objectives of this project are to highlight exemplars of SDH teaching models and propose best practices for teaching SDH.

Methods: A survey developed on behalf of the AACP Public Health SIG Caring for the Underserved and Global Health committees seeking exemplars of effective and/or innovative teaching models of SDH in PharmD programs was sent to members across the AACP community. A subcommittee reviewed submissions and exemplars were included if they featured SDH and were not previously published. Exemplars were categorized based on the socioecological model and SDH, as defined by Healthy People 2030. Each exemplar was also categorized to assessment domains and tools utilized were described.

Results: Eight PharmD programs submitted diverse exemplars. Of the eight exemplars, seven (87.5%) were part of required didactic courses for P1-P3 learners. Teaching models included individual lectures and activities, didactic and experiential courses, and implementation of longitudinal curricular outcomes. More than half (62.5%) of exemplars covered all five SDH domains and six (75%) covered all five domains of the socioecological model. Exemplars featured simulations (50%) and case-based learning activities (62.5%); however, only two (25%) provided students with interprofessional education and research opportunities.

Conclusions: These exemplars serve as examples for incorporating the Healthy People 2030 SDH categories, enhancing SDH knowledge, attitudes and skills of student pharmacists, threading SDH across pharmacy school curricula and providing faculty with a variety of models to offer SDH-related teaching opportunities to implement at their own institutions.