(226) We Are in This Together: Identifying Needs of Pharmacy Faculty for Formal Cultural Competency Training

Objective : The aim of this project is to assess the perceived need and interest of pharmacy faculty for targeted and specialized training in Cultural Competence (CC). This project assessed: 1) faculty interest in an advanced credential in CC; 2) preferred level of CC credential; 3) training format and delivery; and 4) possible barriers to formalized CC programs for pharmacy faculty.

Methods: A voluntary, 53-question, anonymous cross-sectional survey was delivered to current AACP pharmacy faculty members via email. Question items collected information on the demographics of the respondents, interests in advanced CC training, type, format, and cost of this training. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Results: The survey collected 395 responses, representing diverse geographical locations and types of institutions, from the Southern region (39.89%) and teaching institutions (27.92%). The majority of respondents identified as female (73%) and white (71.65%). Forty three percent of faculty expressed interest in pursuing advanced credentialing in CC with the majority of respondents (72%) reporting that pharmacy faculty should be required to complete CC training. Certified training programs and assessment based certificate programs were the favored type of credentialing. About half of the respondents reported that their school/college has never assessed the CC of their faculty. A similar proportion of the programs offered CC training at the program and university level. Three-quarters (75.43%) of the participants reported that CC training is very relevant today. Gender, race/ethnicity and length of time at the program were significant predictors of faculty interest.

Conclusions: This survey identified unmet needs of CC training among pharmacy faculty. Many faculty expressed interests in a formal structured training in CC.