(236) Perceptions of Incorporating Social Determinants of Health in Pharmacy Curriculum and Its Impact on Practice

Primary Author(s)

Juanita A. Draime, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Cedarville University
Cedarville, Ohio, United States

Co-Author(s)

RB

Robert A. Bechtol, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Cedarville University
Cedarville, Ohio, United States
KC

Katelyn Case

Student
Cedarville University, United States
JL

Jacob Littleton

Student
Cedarville University, United States
FY

Felisha Younkin, Ph.D.

Assitant Professor of Psychology
Cedarville University, United States
Aleda M. H. Chen, RPh, PharmD, PhD

Associate Dean, Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH, United States

Objective : Social determinants of health (SDoH) concepts need to be integrated into the pharmacy curriculum at the graduate level, with emphasis on repeated instruction, and acknowledging that their practical application in pharmacy practice goes beyond textbook definitions. Thus, the objective of this project was to analyze perceptions of the incorporation of SDoH in the pharmacy curriculum and its long-term impact on pharmacy practice.

Methods: Using a phenomenological qualitative research design, in-depth, 30-minute, semi-structured interviews were conducted with current students and alumni at a private, Midwestern university until saturation was achieved. Questions were designed to explore and probe respondents’ thoughts and opinions on the effectiveness and value of the curricular integration of SDoH concepts and later use in practice. Upon completion of the interviews, the data was transcribed using an inductive research method, coded, and sorted for thematic analysis.

Results: Interviews were completed with 20 participants, with 14 being current PharmD students and 6 being alumni. One hundred seventy-two excerpts were examined and analyzed with 4 general themes identified. Themes covered the areas of preparedness as a combination of curriculum and practice setting exposure, the importance of using SDoH concepts within the PPCP, and the long-term impacts of using SDoH in pharmacy practice.

Conclusions: A majority of participants reflected on their internship, APPEs, IPPEs, and prior work experience as being more influential than their classroom experience. Within community and retail pharmacy, an important practice is building a strong relationship with the patient in order to better understand what social determinants of health are impacting them specifically. The combination of learning about SDOH concepts in the pharmacy curriculum and practice within pharmacy lead to better outcomes within the PPCP.